Made to be broken
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: When Fiyero is being dragged away by the Gale Force to be tortured to death and Elphaba cannot save him, she gives up: she accepts her fate and surrenders. Meanwhile Fiyero is stuck with a bunch of idiots as he tries to make his way to save the woman he loves. Musicalverse, set right after 'No Good Deed'. Fiyeraba. AU. Warning: will be much darker than the musical.
1. Chapter 1 Capture

**AN: And yet another story. Because I felt like torturing some characters, then have others save the day, etcetera etcetera. **

**Enjoy!**

**General disclaimer: We all know I don't own Wicked or any of the characters in it.**

* * *

**Chapter 1. Capture**

She was hovering in the air above the Gillikin forest. She was too close to the ground and she knew it; people might spot her. But she didn't care. Not anymore. Not now that everything she had ever loved had been taken away from her. In fact, she even wanted people to see her. Why else would she be flying around on her broomstick in full daylight?

She circled above the forest until she spotted the dark green uniforms of the Gale Force between the trees and a wry smile curled her lips. The Gale Force. The very same people who had killed the man she loved would now get to kill her. It seemed oddly fitting somehow.

She dived towards the ground and landed rather ungracefully with a loud thump. She tossed her broom aside, crossed her arms and waited. She knew the men had heard her; they would appear any minute now and arrest her, or kill her, or whatever.

When they did appear, however, mere clock-ticks later, they stopped to stare at her in surprise for a long moment until she raised an eyebrow. 'Well? What are you waiting for? Are you going to arrest me or not?'

'Do you want us to?' one of the soldiers demanded in a voice that went up slightly in the end and quivered a little. Probably a newbie.

She shrugged. 'It doesn't matter what I want anymore.'

That seemed to confuse them, and they just stood there, looking uncomfortably at one another for a moment, until she snapped, 'For Oz's sake, just arrest me already!' She even held out her hands to make it easier for them.

They eyed her warily now, clearly expecting a trap; but when they pulled her arms behind her back and fastened her wrists together with a rope, they seemed to regain their confidence. 'We've captured the Witch!' one of them shouted, and the other finally burst out cheering and laughing, clapping each other's shoulders. 'The Wizard is going to make us rich for this!' another soldier predicted, brightening up at the prospect. Elphaba merely snorted, but otherwise kept silent as they dragged her out of the forest and towards the place where they had left their horses with two other Gale Force members. The eyes of those two men nearly bulged out of their heads at the sight of her. 'You found her?!'

'Well…' The voice of the Gale Force Captain trailed off as he tried to organise his mind. 'Um… I suppose she found us.'

Elphaba threw her head back and let out a spine-chilling cackle. At least six Gale Forcers immediately pointed their guns at her. 'Silence, witch!'

'Or what?' she spat recklessly. 'You'll kill me? Go on ahead if you want to!'

A few of them looked ready to, but the Captain shook his head. 'None of that! We'll take her to his Ozness – he'll decide what to do with her.' He tied her to the saddle of one of the horses and prodded her back with his gun. 'Walk. We're going back to the Emerald City.'

* * *

Hours later, she found herself in a dark, damp and cold cell in the dungeons beneath the Emerald City.

She hadn't expected anything less; she _had_, however, expected a bit more. Why hadn't they done anything to her? They hadn't touched her, hadn't tortured her, hadn't even taken her to the Wizard – they had just took her with them in silence and dumped her here in this Oz forsaken place. Quite frankly, she was feeling disappointed. She knew that was insane, but it was true nonetheless. She needed it. She needed _something_. She wanted them to try and do something to her, so that she could fight back and have an excuse to scream and bite and scratch like the wicked witch she was. She wanted them to take her to the Wizard and Morrible, so that she could spit at them everything that was on her mind and maybe even wrestle herself free long enough so that she could seriously hurt either of them. She wanted them to torture her, because the physical pain would distract her from her emotional pain. Now, however, she was left alone in the darkness with nothing to do but think – the very thing she wanted to avoid right now.

How had she ended up like this? When had her life taken a turn for the worst? The day her mother had died? The day she fell in love with Fiyero? The day she had defied the Wizard?

_The day I was born._

She lied down on the cot in the corner of the cell, facing the wall, curling up into herself, allowing herself this small display of weakness. It served her right to be here. She had wrecked the lives of everyone she knew. Everyone she had cared about had either betrayed her or died because of her. She deserved nothing less than death, although perhaps even death was too mild a punishment for the horrors her existence had brought upon the ones she loved.

Nessa was dead. Crushed by a house. She still suspected Morrible to be behind the twister, but even that didn't matter anymore. It wasn't like she could do anything to prevent the old hag and the Wizard from plummeting Oz into misery. And even if she could, she didn't want to. Not anymore.

And then there was Glinda. Glinda, who had betrayed her. She still couldn't quite grasp that fact, but she knew it to be true and it broke her heart. Glinda, who had once been her best and only friend, had betrayed her; had told Morrible to use her sister to capture her. She had seemed sorry, but what did that matter? By then it had been too late. Glinda had been mad, of course, she could understand that. But this had gone too far. Someone had _died _because of the blonde's wrath and Elphaba could not forgive her friend that. She wanted to, but she couldn't. Even though Glinda had had every right to be angry with the raven-haired witch after Fiyero had run away with her.

Fiyero…

She shook her head violently and buried the fingernails of her one hand into the palm of the other. She wouldn't think of him. She couldn't. It hurt too much. If she thought of him, she would cry, and she'd rather just kill herself here and now.

_Hm… Perhaps that's not even such a bad idea._

She realised how her years on the run had changed her. Sure, she had always been sarcastic and suspicious and wary, but never to this degree. She had grown bitter, she realised with a pang. She had never thought of herself as a bitter person. Her father had been bitter, and to some extent, Nessa had been, too, in the end. But not her. She was many things, but not bitter. She wasn't anything like her father and sister. Not like them at all.

She rested her forehead against the cold bricks of the wall. Her fingernails dug so deeply into her skin that a few small, shiny drops of blood appeared. They dripped down her hand, dangling at the pale looking green skin for a moment before letting go and falling towards the floor, where they shattered in a thousand smaller droplets of blood. She watched them with some kind of sick fascination. Was she losing her mind? Probably. She let out a mirthless cackle. The Wicked Witch of the West, finally gone mad.

Ah, well. Perhaps madness would bring her some peace.

* * *

'Scarecrow, can I ask you something?' the annoying little farm girl asked.

Fiyero sighed, trying not to show how fed up he was with this kid. 'Sure, Dorothy.'

'How did you end up on that pole in the first place?'

_It was what my former colleagues tied me to when they were beating me to pulp. _'I don't remember anything that happened before you found me.'

'But how is that possible?' the girl asked. 'Surely you must have _some _memories from before that!'

_Not just 'some' memories, Dorothy. Way too many memories, and too few at the same time. _'Nope. No memories. Nothing at all,' he said instead. 'I guess that comes with not having a brain.'

He could see the irony. Frankly, it was why he had come up with this particular reason to pretend want to visit the Wizard. To get a brain. He smirked inwardly. He knew Elphaba would appreciate the irony, too. In fact, she would probably laugh at him and then tell him to go on with it and ask the Wizard for a brain, since he obviously could use one.

Elphaba… Oz, he hoped she was safe.

'Does it bother you?' asked Dorothy. 'That you can't think? That you don't remember anything?'

He shrugged. 'Not really. I don't know any better, after all.' _I never did think much in the first place._

Dorothy happily skipped along the Yellow Brick Road next to him. 'Well, now we're going to see the Wonderful Wizard and he'll give you a brain, I'm sure. That lovely Glinda lady said he'd help us all.' Dorothy cringed her forehead in thought. 'Do you think we have to repay him somehow? I don't have any money with me, and he's a Wizard, so I suppose he doesn't need any, either… but would we have to do something for him? Galinda said something like that…'

'Well, you already killed the Wicked Witch of the East,' the Tinman, walking on her other side, chimed in. Dorothy's face brightened. 'Does that mean I already did _him _a favour and so his sending me home will just be a favour in return?'

Fiyero snorted and the Tinman – Boq – looked at the girl pitifully. 'No. He'll probably ask you to kill the Wicked Witch of the West as well,' he told the girl. 'Because now you're a Witch killer, and the Witch of the West is an even greater threat than the Witch of the East was.'

Dorothy looked frightened. 'But that was an accident! I can't kill another Witch!'

'Sure you can,' Boq told her brusquely. 'We'll help you. That's why I joined you in the first place, after all.'

She looked at him suspiciously. 'To kill the Witch of the West? I thought you wanted a heart-'

'I do!' Boq snapped, interrupting her. 'I mean I came with you to make sure I get a heart, and if the Wizard wants us to kill the Witch of the West for that, I'll gladly help you to get that heart.' Dorothy seemed to buy it, but Fiyero narrowed his eyes at the Tinman. Oz, what he wouldn't give to beat _him _to pulp. If anyone needed a brain around here, it was Boq. He couldn't believe the Munchkin boy. They had all been friends back at Shiz, and Boq and Elphaba had gotten along just fine – but now he craved for her blood. What had she ever done to him? He claimed that she was the reason he was made of tin now, but Fiyero couldn't imagine why she would have done that to her old friend. He knew she wasn't cruel, or wicked – not in the slightest. If she had indeed turned Boq into tin, it must have been for a good reason.

'We're off to see the Wizard!' Dorothy sang as she hopped in front of them. Her annoying little dog ran around her feet, barking all the time. Fiyero eyed them wearily. How had he ended up here with this bunch of idiots?

Again, the irony struck him – most people had always seen _him _as the idiot.

'Sing us a song, Scarecrow?' Dorothy asked hopefully, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Fiyero sighed once again. 'I don't sing, Dorothy.'

'Sure you do!' the girl disagreed. 'Everyone can sing! Come on, Scarecrow, please?'

'Yeah, Scarecrow,' the Lion chuckled. 'Sing us a song.'

'Fine!' he exclaimed in exasperation. 'I'll sing you a song!' He thought about starting with 'Dancing Through Life' for a moment, but dismissed the idea. Boq would recognise the song and Fiyero did not want the Tinman to know who he was – not yet, anyway. 'Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road!' he started singing in a happy voice, and Dorothy linked arms with him and started skipping again, forcing him to skip along. The Lion and Boq soon joined them and they all sang the song while skipping down the Yellow Brick Road, while Fiyero silently prayed that no one would see him, for anyone who would, would probably severely doubt his sexual orientation.

_Just a little while longer and I'm going to severely doubt my _own_ sexual orientation._

* * *

Elphaba woke with a start when rough hands suddenly seized her. She started struggling immediately and opened her mouth to scream, but there were too many of them; one of them clasped his hand over her mouth and the others handcuffed her. 'The Wizard wants to see you,' one of the Gale Force soldiers told her in a gruff voice, and she stopped struggling. The Wizard. Good.

She didn't resist as they dragged her up a few sets of stairs, through the hallways of the palace and into the Wizard's Throne Room. Morrible looked up as she was brought in and she grinned maliciously. The giant head of the Wizard came to life. 'LEAVE HER WITH ME,' it ordered, and the soldiers saluted and left. The Wizard then appeared from behind his mechanical device. 'Well, well, well. What do we have here. I'd say we've captured a Wicked Witch, what about you, Madame?'

Morrible cackled. 'What shall we do with her?' She moved a bit closer and Elphaba seized that opportunity to lurch forward and try to attack Morrible, but it was of no use, since she was still handcuffed. The woman easily worked the young witch to the floor and held her down with one foot on her back. 'I like her better on the floor.'

'Who doesn't?' the Wizard agreed cheerfully, approaching to take a good look at his almost-apprentice. 'Why, dearie, don't you have anything to say?'

Elphaba's only reply was to spit in his face.

He looked furious as he wiped the saliva from his face. 'You'll pay for that, witch! Morrible!'

The old woman started chanting and Elphaba suddenly found herself paralysed, unable to move a single muscle. Then the pain started. Stabbing, soaring pain that rushed through her veins and touched every single nerve in her entire body, nearly causing her to faint. She didn't scream, however. She didn't even whimper. She just kept her eyes locked on the Wizard's, pure hatred radiating from them as Morrible kept up the torture.

Suddenly, the door flew open and a flash of pale pink silk, creamy white skin and bouncing blonde curls entered the room. She froze dead in her tracks as she caught sight of her former best friend, lying on the floor. 'E-Elphie?' she whispered, not believing her own eyes.

Morrible flashed the blonde a deceivingly innocent smile. 'Well hello, dearie. The Wizard and I were just punishing a criminal, nothing special.'

'Madame Morrible…'

'Surely you don't feel sorry for her, do you?' Morrible continued, fixing her gaze on Glinda. 'Because if you do, people might just consider you a traitor – like that treacherous fiancé of yours.'

Elphaba winced inwardly at the mention of Fiyero and Glinda's eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away quickly. 'No. No, of course I don't feel sorry for her,' she said, locking eyes with Elphaba and trying to tell her friend in that one look how sorry she was, how much it hurt her to act like this.

Morrible's grin widened. 'Then perhaps you would like to bestow a little torture spell upon her yourself, Your Goodness?'

Glinda froze. She was screaming inside. _No! This is wrong – you can't do this! You have to help her! _But she knew there was nothing she could do.

Morrible handed the blonde a piece of parchment. 'Read this. Prove that you're on our side.'

Morrible's own spell ceased and Elphaba gasped, trying to catch her breath. The actual pain was gone, but the aftermath of it was so strong that she still couldn't move, even despite the paralysis having disappeared. She looked up at what had once been her best friends. Right now, with her huge, tear-filled baby blue eyes, her trembling lower lip, the desperate look on her face, she looked so many years younger than her twenty-three years of age. She looked like a little girl.

The parchment shook as Glinda tried to compose herself and stop her hands from trembling, but to no avail. She looked down at Elphaba, who looked back with an empty – no, even worse… with a _dead_ look in her once lively brown eyes. 'Do it,' she said flatly. 'Just do it.'

And she did. She hated herself for it, the moment the first word left her lips, and her hatred towards herself only grew when she watched Elphaba squirm on the floor in pain, finally giving in and screaming, animal-like howls that sent chills running down Glinda's spine. When she finished the spell, the tears were streaming down her face and she wanted nothing more than just to jump out of a window right now and end it, she hated herself so much. Elphaba, however, didn't seem to resent her for it, strangely enough. The green girl just looked at the blonde for a long moment, a wry smile playing around her lips.

Morrible seemed tired of the torture already and waved one hand in the air. 'Guards, take her back to her cell!'

They grasped her and dragged her back to the dungeons, where they unceremoniously dumped her in a corner of the cell. That's where she stayed, lying in a broken, crumpled heap, not caring about anything anymore.

* * *

Cyara was lying curled up on her cot, fast asleep, when a horrendible cry suddenly jolted her awake.

She shot up bolt upright, her eyes skimming the room feverishly, until she remember where she was – in the dungeons. Where had that scream come from? Someone being tortured? It must have been one hell of a torture, then. Cyara had heard prisoners scream before, but never like this. Never this broken and desperate.

Another scream, something that sounded like a name this time, but the voice was too thick with emotion for Cyara to recognise it as such. It came from the cell across from hers and she got up tentatively and approached the bars. 'Miss? Miss, are you okay?'

She could vaguely see someone tossing and turning on the bed, but whoever the person was, she didn't wake up. 'Miss!' Cyara called again, louder this time, and the shape in the other cell suddenly sat up straight, dark eyes glistening faintly in the dim light. 'Miss?' Cyara asked again, cautiously. 'Are you okay?'

A ragged, mirthless cackle. 'Am I okay?'

Cyara suddenly felt very stupid. 'Well, since you're down here and all, of course you're not 'okay', but… well… You were screaming in your sleep.'

'I had a nightmare,' came the curt reply.

Cyara nodded. 'That's what I thought.'

A few moments of silence. 'Who are you?' asked Cyara curiously.

Another empty laugh. 'I'm the…' The woman's voice trailed away. Then she said quietly, 'Elphaba.'

'Nice to meet you, Miss Elphaba,' Cyara said, keeping her manners in mind. 'I'm Cyara.'

She was met with more silence. 'Miss Elphaba? Why are you here?'

A snort. Then a self-mocking voice. 'Because I'm wicked.'

Cyara tensed. 'Like the Wicked Witch of the West?'

That same dry voice. 'Worse.'

'What did you do, then?' Cyara asked. 'You don't sound like a wicked person to me.'

'You can't tell if a person is wicked or not by the sound of their voice, Cyara.'

'Well… no. I suppose not.' The girl paused. 'So, what did you do?'

Elphaba sighed. 'I killed my sister. I betrayed my best friend. I ruined an old college friend's life. Neither of them on purpose, but intentions don't mean a thing. It's the result that counts.'

'I don't agree,' Cyara spoke thoughtfully. 'I think intentions are important. It's not like it will bring your sister back, for example, but it might make it easier for other people to forgive you for doing it. And for you to forgive yourself.'

Elphaba's voice was flat when she spoke again. 'I'll never forgive myself.'

'What about the name you were shouting in your sleep?' Cyara asked. 'Who is he?'

A long silence. Then a hoarse reply. 'The only man I ever loved – the only man who ever loved me.'

'What happened to him?' Cyara continued, curious about the woman in the other cell. She heard a sigh that sounded as if the woman was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. 'I killed him, too,' she then whispered, causing chills to involuntarily run down Cyara's spine. 'I never wanted to. But he… I…' The voice trailed away and when Elphaba spoke again, she sounded harsher. 'I don't want to talk about it.'

'That's fine,' Cyara said quietly, even though she was incredibly curious now. More silence. Then Elphaba's voice, hesitating. 'Why are you here?'

'I stole from a market stall,' Cyara mumbled, looking down at the floor. 'My family didn't have anything to eat. I took a loaf of bread, and I got caught.'

'That's all?' Elphaba sounded incredulous. 'You stole some _bread_? That's why you're in here?'

Cyara nodded, then realised the other woman wouldn't be able to see that. 'Yes. I've only been here for a week or so. The punishment for stealing is one month in prison, so I'll be free in another three weeks.'

'Three weeks…' Elphaba sounded distant now. 'I'll probably be gone by then.'

'You mustn't think that way-'

'I hope I will be.'

That caught Cyara's attention. 'What?'

'There's nothing left for me in this world,' Elphaba said simply. 'Everything and everyone I love is dead or doesn't care anymore. The world will be better off without me, and I'll probably be better off without the world.' She paused for a moment, then added in a slightly wry voice, 'I'm limited.'


	2. Chapter 2 Friendship

**AN: Thank you all for reviewing! :)**

**BlueD, you should have told me about your birthday before! Now I didn't have a chapter ready to post on your birthday as some kind of a birthday present :(. So, even though it's two days late, this one's for you. Happy birthday! (Or I hope you had a happy birthday :P.)**

* * *

**Chapter 2. Friendship**

When they came again and opened the door of her cell, she didn't resist. She could hear Cyara shifting in the other cell. 'Miss Elphaba?'

'Go back to sleep, Cyara,' the green girl said tiredly as she allowed the guards to tie her wrists behind her back. They dragged her out of her cell and up the stairs, to the Throne Room of the Wizard once again.

When they were alone and the Wizard appeared from behind his giant head, he was grinning like a madman. 'Well hello there, little witch,' he said in a mock amiable tone. 'How are you today?'

She didn't respond.

'Ignoring the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, are we?' the Wizard continued, circling her as if he were a predator circling his prey. 'That won't do.' He slapped her across the face, causing her to lose her balance and fall. Then he kicked her side. 'That's right. Bow for me.'

'Make me,' she snarled, raising her head defiantly, and he slapped her again. 'Uh-uh. Self-destructive, aren't we? Given up the fight? I heard you even _let _my men capture you. That you went straight to them. Is that true?'

Again, she remained silent, and he cackled. 'What do you think, Madame?'

Morrible appeared from the shadows, silent and sneaky like a snake, as ever. 'I believe, your Ozness, that we finally managed to break our dearest Miss Elphaba.'

The raven-haired witch spat at her and Morrible flushed with rage. 'Or perhaps not quite yet. I was hoping this wouldn't be necessary. Guards!' she called as the Wizard quickly hid behind his mechanical head.

'Yes, Milady?' one of the men said, saluting. Morrible glared at him. 'Bring in our dearest Miss Glinda.'

He saluted again. 'Right away, Madame.'

Elphaba's eyes were blazing as the blonde entered the room, tentatively, looking as if she was heading towards a certain death. She couldn't believe they sank this low, to use Glinda to get to her. Or, well, she could believe it. She just didn't want to.

And she wouldn't let them.

'Glinda, dear,' Morrible said sweetly. 'There you are.' She held out a piece of parchment. 'Read this.'

Something flickered in Glinda's eyes and she straightened her back. 'No.'

Morrible's eyes narrowed. 'Excuse me?'

Glinda looked at her friend, huddled on the floor, gazing up at her with unreadable, dark eyes. 'I said no.'

The Wizard appeared again, looking, perhaps for the first time, actually threatening when he towered over Glinda. 'Are you giving us a reason to believe we misjudged you, Miss Glinda? You're not sympathising with the Witch of the West, are you?'

Glinda didn't know what to say. She wanted nothing more than to defy him, to do what she couldn't all those years ago – when Elphaba had become the Wicked Witch of the West. She hadn't been ready then to do it, to go with her friend, but she was now. And she was opening her mouth to tell him so when she caught Elphaba's gaze.

The other girl had straightened up a little and was staring at Glinda intently, as if reading her thought. Their eyes met. Then the raven-haired witch shook her head, only slightly, but slowly, making sure Glinda saw it.

The blonde hesitated for another moment and the Wizard took another step in her direction. 'Are you?' he repeated his question in a low, threatening voice.

She swallowed, then curtsied. 'Of course not, Your Ozness. I was just…' Her eyes met Elphaba's again before she looked at the Wizard. 'I meant I have some things in mind to do to her myself. I would like some time alone with her, please.'

'Don't fall for that,' Morrible said with a sneer. 'They were best friends back at Shiz. You can't fool me, dearie. I don't believe for one clock-tick that you could leave all of that behind you and torture her.'

Glinda lifted her chin. 'You may not believe it, but I could and I will. Yes, we were best friends once, but things changed. We went separate paths all those years ago and then she ran away with my fiancée. So yes, I do hate her now and I would like some time alone with her to let her know how fervently I hate her exactly.'

Both the Wizard and Morrible eyed her for a moment, the Wizard approvingly, Morrible suspiciously. 'Fine, then,' the woman grumbled finally. 'But I'm on to you, Missy. I'll be able to tell if you actually tortured her or not afterwards, and if you haven't…' She let her voice trail away ominously, then called the guards and ordered them to take Miss Glinda and the Wicked Witch back down to the dungeons, to the torture chamber. Glinda followed the men, who were dragging Elphaba with them, without as much as blinking an eye. As soon as they reached the torture chamber, the guards left, and when the heavy wooden door shut behind them, the blonde girl finally collapsed, throwing her arms around her friend. 'Oh, Elphie! I'm so, so sorry!'

The green girl was shaking her head violently. 'Stop it, Glin. You have nothing to be sorry for.'

'But I do!' Glinda wailed. 'So many things! I'm sorry I cast that spell on you the other day! I'm so sorry I told them to use Nessa to get to you! I'm sorry about not coming with you, when you defied the Wizard-' she hiccupped and sniffled, then added in a small, quivering voice, 'and I'm so sorry about being mean to you back at Shiz!'

Elphaba let out a cackle. 'You're apologising for _that _now?'

'I'm apologising for everything,' Glinda said softly. 'I've done everything wrong, Elphie. Everything. I messed up completely, and I just want to… to make things right with you. Please forgive me, Elphie,' she whimpered, tears starting to flow again. 'Please, please forgive me.'

'Only if you forgive me, too,' Elphaba said, tears in her own eyes now as well. 'I'm sorry too, Glin. We both did things we're not proud of. I'm sorry for leaving you behind that day. I'm sorry for…' She still couldn't bear to say his name, so she just said quietly, 'you know.'

Glinda hugged her tightly. 'Oh, Elphie…' She sniffled again. 'I'm sorry for doodling those stupid pictures in your Life Sciences book back when we still hated each other.'

Elphaba chuckled. 'If you're going to start like that… I'm sorry for throwing your underwear in the fountain.'

Glinda looked startled. 'That was you?!' Then she laughed and threw her arms around her friend again. 'Oh, Elphie,' she whispered. 'What are we going to do now?'

Elphaba looked at her friend. 'Simple. You're going to torture me, convince the Wizard and Morrible that you really are on their side, and you continue to be Glinda the Good. And I'll go back to my cell to rot.'

Glinda scowled. 'That's not funny, Elphie.'

'I wasn't trying to be funny.'

The blonde looked at her friend and her eyes widened. 'You're being serious.'

Elphaba looked at her. 'Glin… I don't want to do this anymore,' she said simply. 'I can't. I'd ask you to kill me right here and now, only I know you'd never do that. And even if you did, you'd feel guilty about it for the rest of your life and that's a burden I don't want you to bear.' She took both her friend's hands. 'Listen. You can still do great things, Glinda. You're Glinda the Good now. People listen to you. Use that.'

Glinda was shaking her head frantically. 'No. I won't. Elphaba, you can't ask this from me!'

Elphaba gripped her friend's hands tighter. 'You have to, Glin, or they'll suspect something. They'll lock you up as well!'

Galinda yanked her hands back. 'I don't care!'

'But I do! I can't let that happen, Glinda! Too many people have gotten hurt already because of me. Too many people have _died _because of me, and you're not going to be one of them!'

Glinda felt a pang at that – she knew her friend meant Fiyero. 'Elphie…'

'Please don't.' She smiled, but there was no joy in her smile. 'Don't even say it. I can't think about it. It's another huge mistake I made. Another sacrifice I'm responsible of. I just…' She sank to the floor. 'I can't do it anymore.'

Glinda sat down next to her. 'It wasn't your fault. None of it.'

The witch snorted. 'Opinions differ about that.' Then she shook her head. 'But it doesn't matter. Do it, Glinda. I'll never forgive myself if I drag you into this.'

'Do _what_, Elphie?' Glinda demanded angrily, getting up again and pacing back and forth. 'What exactly do you want me to do?'

'I want you to torture me,' said Elphaba drily. Glinda simply glared at her. 'The worst part is that I know you're being serious.'

'I'll be okay, Glin. Ill weeds grow apace.'

That earned her another glare. 'Not funny.'

'Wasn't trying to be.' Elphaba got up. 'Now hurry. Before they start to suspect something.'

Glinda shook her head. 'I'm not doing it. I hated myself for doing it earlier, and I won't do it again. You can't make me.'

'True.' Elphaba walked around the room and picked up a sharp knife, testing it against her fingertip. 'But I can do it myself.' With that, she started slicing open her skin, slowly moving the tip of the knife up her arm, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. Glinda screeched and leapt towards her friend. 'Are you out of your mind!'

'I'm trying to save you!' Elphaba snarled back. 'If they can't see I'm hurt, they know you didn't do anything, and they'll consider you a traitor! Remember what happened to the last person declared a traitor?'

They both fell silent, just glaring at each other. Glinda was the first one to avert her eyes. 'Of course I remember.'

'I won't let that happen to you.' Elphaba picked up the knife again and looked ready to ram it into her leg, only Glinda snatched the knife out of her hand. 'Fine. I'll do it. But we're going to do this _my _way. No knives or blood involved – I can't stand to look at that.'

Elphaba smirked. 'Still afraid of blood, Miss Galinda?'

'Not afraid,' Glinda corrected her. 'It just makes me nauseous. And that's not the reason. I can't stand watching you bleed because it means _watching you bleed_. I can't believe I'm even doing this. You're my best friend, for Oz's sake!'

'Which is why you have to do this.'

'I know.' She took a deep breath. 'Just please… forgive me. For this. For everything.'

'I will,' said Elphaba, 'if you'll forgive me too.'

Glinda hugged her. 'Deal.' Then she stepped back, mulling things over in her mind. 'A spell?'

'Fine with me. Want the one Morrible used on me last time?' Elphaba offered. Glinda gave her a strange look. 'You know it?'

'I remembered it.'

Glinda hesitated. 'How much… did it hurt?'

'I've been through worse.' Elphaba looked away. 'It wasn't nearly half as bad as… certain things happening before. Not the same kind of pain. But if I had to pick, I preferred the physical pain over the emotional one.'

Glinda's eyes filled up with tears again. 'Elphie…'

The raven-haired witch shook her head. 'Let's not do this. It's no use dwelling on the past, anyway. Just do the spell, Glinda. Morrible will be able to sense you did it – that must convince her.'

Glinda closed her eyes as she chanted, not able to look at her friend as she inflicted pain on her. She still couldn't believe she was doing this, but she was. This was real. A nightmare, only real.

When the spell was done, Elphaba was gasping for breath, sprawled on her stomach on the floor, and Glinda was panting with both the effort of working her magic and the effort not to break into hysterics. 'Are you okay?'

'I'll manage,' Elphaba managed to choke out. She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked up at her friend. 'You should get back outside.'

Glinda nodded reluctantly. 'I'll check on you,' she promised. 'Make sure you're okay.'

'I'd really rather you'd not,' Elphaba said tiredly, pushing herself up despite the pain. Her arms were trembling as her slight weight came down on them. 'I'll be fine, Glin, I promise. Go now. Please.'

Glinda hesitated, then gave her friend one last hug. 'Okay.' She left then, letting the door fall shut behind her.

Elphaba didn't hesitate for a clock-tick after that – she knew the spell and the superficial knife cut wouldn't be enough to convince Morrible. So she picked up the knife again and sliced deeper, scratching her arms, her legs, her face with it. She even tried to squeeze more blood out of the wounds to make the pool of blood on the floor more convincing. Then she let herself fall down, face-down into the puddle of blood, pretending to be unconscious.

Not a moment too late, because just then, guards entered the room. They pulled her up and hauled her with them through the hallways. They encountered Morrible on the way, obviously sent to check on her, and she seemed to be convinced; she nodded in satisfaction, muttering something approving under her breath, then leaving again. The guards took Elphaba back to her cell and dumped her unceremoniously inside before slamming the door shut, locking it, and leaving again.

She could hear Cyara's quivering voice as the girl asked, the fear clear in her voice, 'Miss Elphaba? Are you okay?'

Elphaba carefully pushed herself up and dragged herself to the wall, where she sat up with her back leaning against it, then grumbled, 'I'm fine.'

'Did they torture you?'

Elphaba paused for a moment. 'Not really.'

'Are you sure? I thought I saw blood when they brought you here.'

'You saw that right,' said Elphaba. 'But I wasn't tortured. Not really, anyway. I did it myself.'

The girl's voice rose a few tones in pitch. 'You did that to _yourself_? Why?'

'Because I had to,' she said. 'For a friend. It doesn't matter, Cyara. Let it go.'

'If you say so, Miss Elphaba.'

'And drop the 'Miss',' the green girl added a bit irritably. 'I bet I'm barely older than you.'

A surprised silence. 'How old are you, then?'

Elphaba let out a dry laugh. 'It's impolite to ask a lady about her age.'

'If you're my age, you're still a girl. Not a lady.'

Elphaba was starting to like her fellow prisoner. 'Clever girl, aren't we? I think I'm old enough not to be considered a girl anymore, thank you very much. No one has really considered me a girl anymore for a long time. But even then, that doesn't make me a lady.' She paused. 'I'm twenty-two.'

'I'm seventeen.'

'Close enough.'

They were silent for a while again.

'You said you were here because you're wicked, right?' Cyara then asked tentatively.

Elphaba tensed a little. 'I also said I didn't want to talk about it.' She sighed and slightly adjusted her position against the wall, wincing as the fresh cuts on her legs brushed the rough stones of the floor. 'You said your family didn't have anything to eat. Tell me about them? Your family?'

Cyara's voice got a dreamy ring to it when she spoke again. 'They're wonderful. My parents are the sweetest persons you'll ever meet, even though my Dad can be a bit stern at times. I had an older brother. We lived a bit secluded, so we were forced to play with each other when we were little. Neither of us minded, though. We're really fond of each other. He taught me things…' Her voice trailed away. 'We used to be rich. Then… _things_ started to happen. We were on a trip to the Emerald City when my brother disappeared. Then the Wizard arrested my parents. He let them go eventually, but he had taken everything from them – the possessions they had with them, their money… we couldn't get back home. So that's when the hunger started, and I decided desperate times called for desperate measures.'

Elphaba chuckled softly. 'I hardly call stealing a loaf of bread a desperate measure.'

'Me neither, but apparently, the Gale Force didn't agree.' A sigh. 'I just hope I see my family again. That we'll find out what happened to my brother…'

'I hope you will, too,' said Elphaba quietly. She knew many people had been arrested lately. For supposedly helping the Animals, mostly, but also for stupid reasons – like stealing a loaf of bread. People disappeared, were sometimes even killed for no real reason. She didn't say it out loud, but she feared the chances of Cyara's brother surviving were very slim.

'Your turn,' Cyara then said. 'Your family.'

'Some other time, kid. I'm tired. I'm going to sleep.' Elphaba perched herself on the edge of her cot and carefully lay down. 'Goodnight.'

Silence. Then Cyara's voice. 'Sometime I'm going to get you to talk, you know,' she said, sounding a bit smug.

'I know,' Elphaba said to the ceiling. 'Sometime. But not today.'

With that, they both went to sleep.

* * *

Glinda was on her way back to her chambers when she ran into Morrible.

'Glinda, dear!' the old fish-lady exclaimed, forcing her lips into a smile, but eyeing the blonde girl with a cold look in her snakelike eyes. 'I couldn't help but notice the sense of a magic spell wafting over Elphaba – plus the blood, of course. I'm having trouble believing that was your doing, dearie. Was it?'

Glinda's stomach clenched. _The blood? She only cut her arm – there wasn't _that _much blood, now was there? _

She managed a smile, however. 'Yes. Yes, it was my doing.' At that point, she was glad to see that the blood from Elphaba's arm had stained on the skirts of her pale blue dress. It was more proof. 'I know you don't believe it, Madame, but I do hate her. She took off with my _fiancé_. She stole the man I loved. And then she got him killed. I remembered your spell from the other day and it seemed fitting to punish her.'

'Fitting, but not sufficient, apparently, given the knife cuts that were all over her,' said Morrible, still eyeing Glinda with hawk's eyes, ready to detect any sign of grief, of doubt. Glinda saw that and forced herself to straighten her back and lift her chin, despite the fact that her stomach clenched. _The knife cuts that were all over her._ Had Elphaba...? To herself? Most likely.

'Nothing I could ever do would be of sufficient punishment for her, Madame,' Glinda said in a firm voice. 'This, however, happened to be enough for me to give vent to my anger – for now.' She looked down at her blood-stained skirt and sighed dramatically. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, that fiancé-stealing witch has bled on my dress, so I'm going to change clothes. Did you want me to be present at the council meeting this afternoon?'

Morrible's wary look didn't change, but she seemed a little more convinced now. 'Yes, please, dear. It's about the Witch, and I'd like to have your opinion on it, if you don't mind.'

Glinda flashed her a brilliant fake smile. 'Of course I don't mind! I'll be there!' With that, she practically skipped away – probably overdoing her unconcerned and bubbly blonde act a little, but she didn't care. When she entered her chambers, she slumped against the door, taking a few deep breaths. She felt as if something tight had settled around her chest, as if she couldn't breathe. She tore off her dress and left it in a heap on the floor, then she yanked the pins free from her hair and shook her curls loose. She stepped in front of the mirror and stared at her reflection. Her tiara had shifted and was now ajar on her head, and she took it off and tossed it on the bed. She found it strange what she was seeing in the mirror. It was her. Still bubbly. Still blonde. How could she look so much the same while she felt like a completely different person inside?

She took another deep breath and practiced her most endearing smile. It was convincing, she thought. The only giveaway was the haunted look in her eyes… She shook her head and tried again. This time, she managed to let the smile reach her eyes. _Just keep that up,_ she told herself. _Keep it up like that and you'll stay right where you are. Remember what Elphaba said. You have to be Glinda the Good. You have to make things better now, because she can't do it anymore._

Glinda smiled at her reflection once more, then went over to the wardrobe to fetch herself another dress. This one was simpler, with a widening skirt from the waist down, but not a poofy one, and it was a soft pale yellow, which looked great with her golden hair. She brushed her hair and styled it, then put her tiara on top of the curls again and walked over to the windows, where she opened the curtains and stepped out onto the balcony. She leaned on the railing for a moment. The Ozians were going about their business below her, shopping, sightseeing, going home for lunch break from school or work. In the distance, on the Yellow Brick Road, she could see some figures approaching – merchants, most likely. She sighed, put on her bubbly façade and left the room.

She swirled into the Council Room, flashing a bright smile at the persons present. 'Hello!' she chirped, and they all couldn't help but smile back. 'Welcome, Miss Glinda,' one of the Ambassadors said, rising and bowing for her. 'It's our pleasure to have you here.'

Glinda giggled and waved him away. 'Oh, no! The pleasure is completely mine!' _I should have become an actress._

Morrible entered a few minutes after Glinda had, positioning herself at the head of the table, looking over the representatives of the different parts of Oz. When they stopped talking, she rose to open the council. 'Welcome, welcome, everyone,' she greeted them solemnly. 'We have gathered here today to discuss a matter of great importance – the recent capture of the Wicked Witch of the West…' She looked around triumphantly. 'And her subsequent execution.'

Glinda's breath caught in her throat.


	3. Chapter 3 Stories

**AN: Your wonderful, awesome, amazifying reviews inspired me into writing another chapter right away. So here it is :).**

* * *

'So where are we headed again?' Dorothy asked.

'To the Emerald City,' replied Fiyero patiently.

'And that's where the Wizard lives?'

The Tinman nodded and the Lion looked terrified. 'The Wizard lives _in _the City? You mean we have to go _through _the City to get to him? Where there will be _people_?'

Dorothy petted the scared Lion. 'It'll be fine, Lion. We'll be there to protect you!'

The Tinman tightened his grip on his axe. Fiyero eyed him a bit warily. He wondered where Boq had gotten the axe. Had he found it somewhere? It wasn't as if axes were lying around everywhere for murderous Tinmen to pick up. So had someone gave it to him? Who would that have been? Which Oz-forsaken idiot had come up with the _great _idea to present _Boq _with an axe?

He shook his head. 'We're almost there, Dorothy. See the green shiny walls over there? That's the Emerald City.'

Dorothy jumped up and down and clapped her hands, and she reminded him so much of Glinda in that moment that his throat clenched shut, but he managed a smile. Dorothy skipped happily next to him. 'So how much longer until we get there?'

Boq looked thoughtful. 'The sun will be setting soon – we'll probably reach the City by tomorrow early afternoon. We should stop for the night in an hour or so, before it gets too dark to see anything.'

They all nodded their consent and while Boq made a fire and the Lion watched Dorothy, Fiyero made a bed out of a few leaves and moss beds. 'It's not much,' he apologised, 'but we don't have any blankets…'

'It's fine,' Dorothy assured him with a smile. 'Thank you, Scarecrow.'

They gathered some berries for her to eat and then she went to lie down to go to sleep. The Tinman announced gruffly that he would be chopping some more firewood in the forest and the Lion went to sleep as well, leaving Fiyero alone with his thoughts.

Those, of course, were dedicated entirely to Elphaba. Where was she now? What would she be doing? Did she still believe he was dead or did she know the spell had succeeded? He wasn't exactly sure how that worked with witches – could they sense whether their spells worked, or did they just have to guess? He wished he could somehow let her know that he was alive, just to be sure.

Dorothy stirred beside him, then sat up. He looked over at her, suppressing a sigh. 'Can't sleep?'

She shook her head. 'I can't stop thinking of home. Do you think the Wizard could help me?'

'Sure,' he agreed miserably, kicking at a pebble and watching as it rolled towards the fire. 'Or perhaps Glinda can. She lived in the Emerald Palace, too.'

Dorothy cringed her forehead. 'But she couldn't help me earlier.'

'She didn't have her spell books with her.' He sighed and the girl eyed him curiously. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing.'

She scooped closer to him. 'Tell me.'

He looked down at her and decided it might help to get things off his chest – an adjusted version, of course. 'I just… I miss someone.'

'You miss someone? I thought you didn't remember anything of your life before you got stuck to that pole!'

He bit his lower lip. 'I lied.'

She didn't show shock or surprise, just looked at him with wide eyes that reminded him of Elphaba's – that doe-eyed look she wore when something happened she couldn't quite grasp, like when he said he was going with her back at the palace, or when she had grasped his hand that day with the Lion Cub. It was a look he adored, because it was so unlike the Elphaba he knew; and just for a moment, his mind flashed back to that day, when they had rescued the Lion Cub together, when he had been just about to kiss her, staring into those chocolate brown eyes…

'Scarecrow?'

Poof. Gone daydream. He blinked and realised the eyes before him were Dorothy's hazel ones, staring at him from an innocent little face. He exhaled. 'I lied because I don't want Lion or Tinman to know about it.'

'I won't tell them,' Dorothy promised, and Fiyero smiled faintly. 'All right. Well… it's complicated. There's this girl I love, you see. And she loved me, too.' He fell silent, not sure how to explain it all to Dorothy.

'So what happened?' the girl asked. 'Did she… die?'

He winced at that. 'I don't know.' Did she? Could she? He had no idea. 'I… I hope not.'

Dorothy asked, 'Is she a Scarecrow too?'

The thought made him chuckle slightly. 'No. She's human, just like you. She's just… different.' He stared ahead without seeing anything, lost in his thoughts and memories. 'People don't like her because of that. Because she's different. But she's a wonderful person, once you can see past the…' He hesitated, not wanting to say 'green' – that would be too much of a giveaway – but also not wanting to say 'abnormality', because that sounded like it was a bad thing and it was not. At least not to him. 'Past the…'

'Difference?' offered Dorothy, and he smiled a little. 'Yeah. Exactly.'

The girl looked thoughtful. 'I had a friend once. She had very big, floppy ears, and the other kids teased her because of that. But when we became friends, I discovered that she was really nice. My Aunt Em said that was a lesson for me – that how a person looks doesn't say anything about their personality, and that you should never judge a person because of their exterior.'

This time, his smile was real. 'Your Aunt Em sounds like a wise person, Dorothy.'

The girl nodded. 'So that's why I became friends with you, I guess. And with Lion and Tinman. You all look different, but I bet you're all very nice people inside.'

Fiyero thought of Boq and his expression became grim. _Not all of us, Dorothy. Not all._

'So people didn't like her because of the way she looked.' The girl paused. 'Did she have floppy ears, too?'

He chuckled. 'No, she doesn't have floppy ears. She's beautiful. Most people look at her and only see how different she is, but I think she's beautiful.'

'That's so sweet!' Dorothy thought about it for a moment. 'So how did the two of you get separated?'

He took a breath. 'We'd been separated for a long time. We were so happy when we found each other again, but it only lasted for a day, and then things started to… to happen, and she was in danger. I saved her.'

Dorothy was staring at him with wide eyes. He took another breath. 'You must know, Dorothy, that I have no always been a Scarecrow. I was human once.'

She gasped. 'Really?'

He nodded. 'Really. You must also know that the girl I'm in love with is a witch.'

The girl wrinkled her nose. 'A good witch? Like Glinda?'

'Yes,' he agreed with a sad smile, thinking about the bubbly blonde and the sarcastic green girl and how they had been best friends. 'Yes. She's a good witch.' _Most people just don't see that._ He paused. 'When I saved her, I sacrificed myself for her. She didn't want me to, but I couldn't stand the thought of something happening to her.'

Dorothy let out a small 'aw' and he poked listlessly at the fire. 'So I sacrificed myself in order for her to get away. I would have died if it weren't for her; she cast a spell on me, to save me. Or so I think. I haven't seen her since. The spell changed me into a Scarecrow – I don't think she meant to do that. I think she just wanted to save my life, no matter what.'

The girl actually had tears in her eyes now. 'That's so romantic,' she said in a choked voice, and Fiyero suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. 'So that's why I came with you,' he continued. 'Not because I need a brain – although opinions differ on that,' he grinned, making Dorothy giggle. 'I came with you because I hope the Wizard can help me find her.' _At least I'll know if she's still out there, what happened to her. And perhaps the Wizard actually _does _send Dorothy on a mission to kill Elphaba, which I could use to get to her._ He didn't say that out loud, though. He had already spilled too much.

'You must promise not to tell anyone,' he said to her in a stern voice. 'Not Lion and Tinman, and not the Wizard once you get to him. Not even Glinda. Got it?'

'Got it,' nodded Dorothy. Suddenly, she hugged him. 'Thank you for telling me this.'

He smiled faintly. 'You're welcome.'

* * *

Elphaba was lying curled up on her cot, staring at the wall. A guard had just come in to announce that Madame Morrible, Miss Glinda and the other council members had agreed on a date for her execution, two weeks from now. He added smugly that it was going to be quite the spectacle, and that the Wizard needed those two weeks to plan the grand festivities that would surround her death. She had merely stared at him with dead eyes, unmoving, until it had made him uncomfortable and he had left. Then she had lied down and thought about it. Did she care? Not really. She felt sorry for Glinda, having to pretend to agree on her execution while she knew it probably broke her best friend's heart. She was glad that she and Glinda had made amends – at least she didn't have to feel guilty about that anymore. She was ready. Thinking about her upcoming execution didn't even elicit a feeling from her – not sadness, not anger, not determination, not despair, not even relief. She felt empty. Incapable of feeling at all.

She could hear Cyara's quivering voice. 'Did he say you're going to be executed in two weeks?'

Elphaba nodded, despite the fact that the girl couldn't see that. 'He did.'

'I'm so sorry,' whispered Cyara and Elphaba shook her head again. 'I'm not.'

The other girl paused. 'He said something about festivities. Are they going to celebrate your death?' she asked in horror, and Elphaba let out a mirthless chuckle. 'What can I say? A celebration throughout Oz, that's all to do with me. I'm a rather famous criminal, Cyara.'

'You're not a criminal,' Cyara said firmly. 'You're nothing like a criminal.'

'Thank you, dear, but I'm afraid not everyone agrees with you. Not even me.'

Cyara didn't believe that. She had watched this woman in the past week. She had heard her cry out in her sleep, muttering and screaming that same unintelligible name over and over again, the same name she wouldn't say out loud when she was awake. It was too dark to see much of her, but when she squinted, she could sometimes see the glimmer of Elphaba's dark eyes, eyes full of pain. She was broken, and Cyara couldn't comprehend that anyone would want her dead. She couldn't rhyme the image she had of Elphaba with the heartless criminal she made herself out to be.

She edged closer to the bars, hoping to catch a glimpse of the other girl, but she could see nothing beside a dark figure on the cot. 'Tell me about your life.'

The dark figure lifted its head. 'What?'

'Tell me about your life,' insisted Cyara. 'What happened to you. How you got here. If you're going to be executed, and you're going to act like you're okay with that, you might as well tell me everything.'

A faint chuckled. 'True. All right, I'll tell you everything. I'm going to leave out some names, though. Some of the people from my past are still alive, and though I don't think you would ever tell anyone this if I asked you not to, I'd rather not take the risk. I might endanger them by letting you know who they are, and I've done enough of that in my life already.'

Cyara nodded violently. 'Okay.'

'First, you need to know something.' Dramatic pause. 'I'm the Wicked Witch of the West.'

Cyara merely nodded. 'I figured as much.'

Now Elphaba sat up entirely, staring at the other cell in disbelief. 'What?'

'You're a famous wanted criminal. You're a woman. People will celebrate your death. It's not that hard to fit the pieces together.' She had other sources, too, but she wasn't willing to share those yet. She wanted to know some things first.

Elphaba peered over at the cell opposite hers, where Cyara sat in front of the bars. A pale face surrounded by sleek, light blonde hair, with emerald green eyes sparkling at her like a cat's eyes. Innocent, yet more intelligent than she would ever let on. It suited her, Elphaba thought to herself.

'I'll start with some background information.' Elphaba started counting on her fingers. 'I'm green-'

'Let me see.'

She was startled. 'What?'

'I'd like to see it,' Cyara insisted. 'I can't see a thing around here, especially not with you curled up all the time. I haven't even had a chance to take a good look at you. Let me see you.'

Elphaba grumbled. 'Fine.' She rose and walked over to the bars, the closest to Cyara as she could get. The girl eyed her up and down with pursed lips, looking lost in thought. 'They said it's ugly, but I don't think it is. It's more like… emerald.' She smiled faintly at the memories that came with that. 'Yes. Emerald. It suits you, somehow.'

'Thanks… I guess.' Elphaba sat down cross-legged on the floor next to the bars. 'So, background information. I'm the oldest of the two daughters of the former Governor of Munchkinland. My mother died while giving birth to my younger sister. My sister, Nessarose, the Wicked Witch of the East, was in a wheelchair – she couldn't walk. That was my fault, but I'm not going to elaborate on that – it's not important.' She paused. 'I took care of her all my life, and we went to Shiz together. That's where I'm going to start this story. With me and my sister, and an extremely annoying, popular blonde girl that happened to be my roommate. One of the people I'm not going to call by name, so for the duration of this story, let's just call her… Blondie.' She smirked slightly and she heard Cyara giggle. 'Tell me everything.'

* * *

'Ah, Miss Glinda!' the Wizard exclaimed as she entered his Throne Room. 'There you are. I've been wanting to talk to you. I've been told you were rather upset about your fiancé leaving with the witch, and judging by the way you've manhandled her, I believe you still aren't over it. I was just wondering whether you wanted to talk about it.'

So now he was going to play the father figure? She huffed softly. 'No, thank you.'

He held out his bottle to her. 'Still sure you don't want some? Like I said, it eases the pain!'

'No, thank-' She stared at the bottle and her eyes widened as déjà-vu washed all over her. 'Sweet Oz,' she breathed, then took the bottle from him with trembling hands, examining it. There was not a doubt in her mind. 'How many of these bottles are there in Oz?'

The Wizard looked confused. 'Only three. I've kept two of them myself, but I've given one away – to a woman I loved dearly back in my younger days.' He smiled faintly, but Glinda's face had drained from all colour. 'Sweet Oz,' she said again, barely believing this. 'Sweet _Oz_!' She angrily waved the bottle in front of his face. 'You're her father!' she screeched.

He looked taken aback. 'W-what?'

'You're her father!' she insisted. 'You're Elphaba's father! I _knew _that stupid bottle looked familiar – it's the same one Elphaba kept under her pillow back at Shiz, because it had been her _mother_'s! It was a keepsake! Her mother is the woman you 'loved so dearly',' she didn't really believe that part, couldn't rhyme the cruel impostor in front of her with a loving young man, but that didn't matter, 'and she's yours!'

His eyes had widened. 'She… she has the bottle?'

Glinda slapped his arm - rather hard for a petite blonde, he couldn't help but notice. 'You're killing your own daughter!'

He shook his head slowly. 'No. That's… that's not possible.' He fell silent, twisting the bottle around and around in his hands. 'I need to think,' he then proclaimed, and he disappeared in his small office space behind the mechanical head. Glinda wanted to go after him, but he had locked the door and she couldn't get it open. She sighed and slumped against the door, raking her fingers through her perfect blonde hair. How was this possible? Frex wasn't Elphie's father… the Wizard was. One man had treated her like a servant all her life, the other tried to kill her. As far as father's were concerned, Elphaba hadn't exactly won the jackpot.

She pushed herself up and headed towards the other side of the Throne Room, where the door was. She needed to talk to Elphie.

* * *

'…so that's how Blondie and I became best friends.' Elphaba smiled at the memory. 'Only that morning, something else had happened. The arrival of certain… prince.' She swallowed, finding herself unable once again to let his name pass her lips. 'Let's say his name was… Brainless.'

Cyara's laugh rang through the dungeons. 'You've had some interesting friends in your lifetime, Elphaba. A Blondie and a Brainless – even though I don't believe you're any of those things.'

Elphaba chuckled. 'Seems strange, doesn't it? Yet it was true.' She chewed her bottom lip. 'Blondie and Brainless became a couple straight away – at that same party at the OzDust. She told me they were going to be married…' A distant look appeared in her eyes as she continued. 'I was completely fine with that – I didn't even like him at first, though I tried to get along with him for Blondie's sake. But then… something happened.' She swallowed again. 'Something that changed everything.'

She told her about the Lion Cub and then moved on, telling this strange girl everything that had happened. How she had fallen in love with Fiyero, how she and Galinda had gone off to the Emerald City and how she had defied the Wizard. How she had been on the run for nearly three years before encountering her sister again. What had happened to Boq, whom she just called 'the Munchkin boy', and how she had met Fiyero and Glinda again. That he came with her. That she had a vision of Nessa being hurt – the way Nessa had died and the way Fiyero had sacrificed himself to save her. And how she had given up after that. She told Cyara everything, and she couldn't believe how much lighter it made her feel, being able to share everything with someone. When she finished, Cyara was still looking at her wide-eyed. 'Wow,' she breathed, and Elphaba grimaced. 'I guess you could say that.'

Just then, the door to the dungeon opened, and they both tensed. When it was Glinda who flew down the stairs, however, Elphaba breathed a sigh of relief. 'Glin, you shouldn't be here! If they discoverate you…'

'He's your father!' Glinda blurted out. The green girl just stared at her, one eyebrow arched. 'Excuse me?'

'I just found out,' Glinda said, slightly out of breath. 'He's your father. The Wizard is your father. He has the same bottle – the same one you kept under your pillow, that was your mother's. He's had an affair with her. He's your father!'

Elphaba had blanched visibly. 'That's- That's not possible,' she choked out. 'Frex is my father.'

Glinda shook her head wildly, sending her curls flying around her face. 'He's not. I don't know if he knew, but Melena clearly knew or she wouldn't have passed that bottle down to you. He's your father, Elphie.'

Elphaba tried to process this new development. 'So now what?'

'He said he needed time to think.'

Elphaba snorted. 'It won't change anything, Glin. He'll just want me dead even more.'

Glinda shook her head. 'You say that now, but I think he really felt bad about it, Elphaba. Do you remember what he said when we first met him?'

Elphaba met her gaze and raised an eyebrow. 'That he was responsible for the Animals suffering?'

Glinda shot her a look. '_No_. That he'd always longed to be a father.'

Elphaba snorted. 'Well, he is one, and so far, he's doing a crappy job.'

Glinda gave her another glare. 'That's not funny, Elphie. I'll talk to him later… I just thought you should know.' She hesitated. 'You know you're going to be executed in two weeks, right?'

Elphaba nodded and Glinda did, too. 'I'll think of something. I promise.'

The raven-haired witch shook her head. 'Don't.'

Glinda looked ready to burst into tears. 'Elphie-'

'Don't, Glinda,' the green girl said tiredly. 'Just don't. I'm fine with dying. Really. Please don't interfere.'

'Elphie…'

'Please?'

Glinda sniffled. 'Okay. I won't.' With that, she slipped out of the dungeons again.

Elphaba could feel Cyara's eyes on her, but she deliberately ignored the other girl, moving back until she was engulfed by shadows again.

Cyara shifted a little. 'So she's Blondie.'

Elphaba's head shot up. The other girl smirked. 'Oh, come on. It wasn't as if that was hard to guess. Glinda the Good visiting the Wicked Witch of the West to warn her?' She shook her head. 'It does explain a lot of things from your story.'

Elphaba sighed. 'I know.'

'Which means Brainless must be Fiyero Tiggular, Glinda's former fiancé.'

Elphaba flinched at simply hearing the name. Cyara noticed. 'I'm sorry. I know you don't want to talk about him.' This development explained even more – she had suspected it already, ever since she figured out that Elphaba was the Witch of the West, but this was the first time she heard it confirmed. 'You don't know what happened to him?' she asked anxiously.

Elphaba curled up even further. ' I do know. Like I said, they took him away to torture him to death,' she said quietly. 'I tried, but my spells didn't work. He's dead, Cyara. I killed him.' She huddled in a corner, wrapping her arms around her pent-up knees and resting her chin on them. Cyara swallowed with the effort of not crying herself. 'I'm so sorry.'

Elphaba met her gaze for a moment before directing it at the floor again. 'So am I.'

* * *

'I'm taking some time off,' the Wizard declared, pacing up and down frantically, an edge of despair in his voice. 'I… I need to think about this, Madame. You take over until I'm back. I'll probably return in a week or so. I just need to be alone for now.'

'Of course, your Ozness!' Morrible said with an innocent smile. 'I understand completely. I'll make sure everything goes perfectly until you're back!'

'Thank you, Madame.' The Wizard paused. 'Keep Elphaba alive in the meantime.'

'But your Ozness!' Morrible spluttered. The Wizard glared at her. 'I just found out she's my _daughter_, Morrible, and I can't deal with that right now. I can't just send her off to her death, either. I need to figure out what I'm going to do next… I always wanted to be a father. Perhaps we could… make arrangements…' He shook his head. 'Just keep her locked up where she is now until I'm back, understood?'

'Yes, your Ozness,' Morrible grunted, earning herself an approving nod from the Wizard. He then left the Throne Room and the Captain of the Guard came in, bowing before her. 'Did I hear that correctly, Madame? Is the execution of the Witch of the West being procrastinated?'

Morrible shook her head. 'No, Captain, it's not. You must have heard it wrong. The execution is to proceed as agreed upon.' She would _not _let an overly sentimental Wizard ruin this chance for her to get rid of Elphaba. With him gone, she could do whatever she liked – she'd make up an excuse to tell him later. The only thing that mattered was that she finally got to kill Elphaba.


	4. Chapter 4 Torture

**AN: I'm actually considering changing the title of this story to 'Made to be broken' (yes, Failey, that does have something to do with your review ;))... What do you think?**

* * *

'You know? You actually seem vaguely familiar,' Elphaba said a few days later, when she and Cyara were both lying on their cots in their respective cells.

She could hear Cyara laugh softly. 'My mother always said I reminded her of Glinda the Good. I took that as a compliment.'

'It _is _a compliment,' insisted Elphaba. 'And it's true. I guess that's why you look familiar – you remind me of her in our days back at Shiz…' She paused for a moment. 'I love the colour of your eyes.'

'Emerald,' Cyara replied immediately. 'The exact same colour as your skin.'

Elphaba chuckled faintly. 'It looks better on your eyes than it does on my skin, though.'

'Maybe. But I don't think it looks ugly on your skin, either. I kind of like it.' The girl paused. 'My grandmother had green eyes, too, but my parents and my brother all have blue eyes – like Glinda's, only brighter. Glinda's eyes are like… cobalt blue. My family's eyes are azure blue. Like that lake near the Emerald City – have you ever been there? It's beautiful out there, the water is like crystal, so clear…' She sounded dreamy and Elphaba pictured the lake she was talking about in her head. Azure blue… Immediately, Fiyero's eyes filled her mind and she blinked a few times to get rid of the image. 'That sounds beautiful. You pay lots of attention to colours, don't you?'

Cyara giggled. 'I love colours. I paint – perhaps that explains it.'

Elphaba smiled faintly, even though the other girl could not see that. 'Yes… that would explain it.' They lay in silence for a few moments. 'What do you paint?'

'Everything,' Cyara said softly. 'People – my family, mostly. Landscapes. Animals. Usually, I just see something and I feel the urge to paint it, and then I do. My brother used to love the pictures I painted… He kept a few of them in his room, hanging them on the wall…' Her voice trailed away and Elphaba knew she thought of her family now. 'Don't worry, kid. You'll be out of here in no time.'

'Two more weeks.'

'Exactly.'

They fell silent again. Then Cyara said, 'You know, if you insist that I stop calling you 'Miss', you should stop calling me 'kid'. I'm only five years younger than you.'

'You're under eighteen. That makes you a kid.'

Cyara grumbled. 'Fine. If you insist.'

Elphaba cackled.

Just then, the door to the dungeons creaked open and a few guards marched down the stairs. Elphaba sat up as they stopped in front of her cell and one of them opened it. 'Miss Elphaba Thropp?'

She straightened her back and one of the guards grinned at her maliciously. 'We've heard rumours about you knowing the location of several Animal hideouts, and Madame Morrible has sent us to pry that information from you.'

Elphaba eyed them wearily and with just the tiniest bit of amusement. 'Oh please. We all know that she's not really interested in the locations of the Animal hideouts – just as we all know I would rather bite off my own tongue than say anything to _you_ about it. She's just using it as an excuse to torture me. Am I right?'

The guard's grin widened. 'You're right.'

She stretched out her arms in front of her, so that they could handcuff her. 'Go ahead, then.' She looked at Cyara when she walked out of her cell. 'I'll be back.'

The girl looked at her with wide, scared eyes as the guards led the green girl away.

They took Elphaba to the torture room they had been in earlier, and they chained her to the wall, with her back towards them. She heard the cracking of the whip – had expected to hear it – and it lashed across her back, ripping open her dress and the skin underneath it. She bit her lower lip hard to refrain from screaming. She could taste blood. They whipped her again, and again and again, but she managed to keep her head up and remain silent, which infuriated them. They finally stopped and unchained her, leaving her hands and feet tied; they forced her on her knees then and waved a torch in front of her. 'Still don't care to say anything?'

She spat in his eye in reply – something she seemed to be doing an awful lot these days – and he wiped it away furiously. Then he snatched the torch from his soldier's hands and brought it close to her face. She didn't even blink.

'I'm warning you, _witch_,' he spat. 'Try that once more and I swear-'

She spat again.

He buried his hand in her hair and pulled it, yanking her head back, before hitting her hard across the face. He handed the torch back to his soldier and went to retrieve a poker from the other side of the room. 'Let's give you a taste of what you will feel next week, when they _burn _you,' he grumbled, holding the poker in the flame of the torch. Elphaba eyed him warily, knowing what would happen next, but not able – or willing – to do anything about it. He pulled the glowing poke from the fire and pressed it against her bare shoulder. This time, she was not able to stifle her screams.

He burned her shoulder first, trailed burning marks down her arm, then continued and burned her leg, her hip, her waist, even her face, keeping the poker pressed to her cheek until her air was gone and her voice was hoarse with screaming. Only then did he pull away.

She fell to the floor and they started kicking her in her stomach and against her head until she fell unconscious. After that, they took her back to her cell.

Cyara clasped both hands over her mouth as she saw the soldiers throw Elphaba into her cell. 'Oh, Elphaba…' she whispered. The guards left and Cyara kept watching until the other girl stirred. 'Elphaba?'

The dark-haired witch huffed and Cyara felt a little relieved. 'You okay? Sort of, I mean.'

'I'll be fine,' Elphaba said, but she was slurring a little. She spat out some blood and wiped at her face with her torn sleeve. 'I'll be fine.'

'You don't look fine.'

'That's why I didn't say 'I _am_ fine'. I said 'I'll _be _fine'.'

'Clever.' Cyara felt better knowing that Elphaba apparently felt good enough to be sarcastic. 'Why did they do it?'

'As I said before,' she mumbled. 'Just because Morrible wants to break me. She doesn't realise I'm already broken. It's a lesson I hope you'll never learn first-hand, dear, but let me tell you this: physical pain is much easier to bear than emotional pain is.'

Cyara's heart ached for the other girl. 'I'm so, so sorry, Elphaba,' she whispered. 'I wish I could help you.'

The witch shook her head. 'I'm beyond help, kid. All you need to do is help yourself.'

* * *

Glinda strode through the hallways and burst through the door of Madame Morrible's office. 'Madame Morrible!'

The woman looked up from her paperwork with a small frown. 'Is something wrong, dearie?'

Glinda stopped in front of the desk and put her hands on it, leaning forward. 'I was just informed of the fact that you're planning on proceeding with-' she could just swallow her friend's name '-the Witch of the West's execution, despite the Wizard's orders.'

Morrible merely smiled at her. 'Yes, dearie, you heard right. I figured we might as well get rid of her now that we have the chance. Don't you agree? I thought you hated her so much?'

_I don't hate her, Morrible. Not at all. On the other hand, I don't think I've ever hated a person as fervently as I hate you. _'Of course I hate her, Madame, and I want to see her dead as soon as possible. I just don't want to go against the Wizard's orders.'

Morrible waved her protests away. 'Don't worry about that, Glinda dear! The Wizard has just received some _shocking _news and he's not himself – his orders are not to be taken seriously. And since he left me in charge, I don't think you're in any position to argue.' She narrowed her eyes and Glinda backed off. 'I'm not arguing, Madame, I was just checking with you. If his Ozness really left you in charge and you want to go through with it, then of course I'll help you with it.' She curtsied, and Morrible actually looked pleased as the blonde girl left the room. Glinda hated herself for doing this. She loathed that awful fish-woman and she despised the fact that she had to comply and play nice all the time, but she knew she had to convince Morrible of her loyalty before she could do anything, anything at all. Why had Elphie told her not to try and save her best friend? For what must be the thousandth time, Glinda wished she had just gone with her friend that day at the Palace. Would things have been different now? Together, would they have been able to overthrow the Wizard and change things for the better in Oz?

She sighed. She would never know that now.

* * *

'Would you sing again, Scarecrow?' the Lion asked the next morning, as they got closer to the Emerald City. 'I liked it when you sang. It made me feel more comfortable.'

Fiyero suppressed a groan. 'Sorry, dude. I'm done singing.'

Dorothy giggled. 'Ease on down…'

'Stop it.'

Boq chimed in, smirking as he annoyed the Scarecrow. 'Ease on down the road!'

'Stop it!'

'Don't you carry-'

'STOP IT!'

They started skipping again, Dorothy and Boq and the Lion, as they sang the silly song at the top of their lungs. 'We're almost there!' Dorothy chirped and Fiyero finally rolled his eyes and joined them, not really sure what else to do.

When they approached the magnificent gates of the City, they all quieted down a little. They entered the city without much fuss and went straight over to the Emerald Palace, where the Tinman announced in a loud voice that they wanted to see the Wizard.

The guard at the door looked faintly annoyed at that. 'His Ozness is not available at the moment.'

'But I need courage!' the Lion protested. The guard shook his head. 'No exceptions.'

Fiyero pushed forward. 'Please,' he said beseechingly. 'We've come a long way. This girl came from Kansas and she desperately needs to get back home. Glinda the Good sent her here.'

The guard sighed. 'Well, I suppose I could get Miss Glinda down here. Hold on.' He disappeared and they waited. He returned a few minutes later with a bubbly Glinda trailing behind him. She flashed them all a beaming smile. 'Oh, hello everyone! I don't think we're acquainted yet, now are we? I'm Glinda the Good,' she said, curtsying.

Fiyero bowed. 'I am the Scarecrow, and these are my friends Lion and Tinman,' he introduced them, meanwhile not taking his eyes off his ex-fiancée. 'We've accompanied Miss Dorothy here to her destination.'

Glinda smiled warmly, but Fiyero could see the pain behind her eyes and he knew she must be hurting. She had just watched him, her ex-fiancé, been dragged to his death, and she probably had no idea where her best friend was. Yet she managed to keep up her bubbly façade. 'Well then, thank you all for escorting Dorothy. Come with me, please! I'll assign you rooms so you can freshen up and then we'll talk, okay?' She swirled around and walked away, and they didn't have a choice but to follow her.

Glinda apologised, telling some maids to take care of her guests, then told them she had pressing business to attend to and disappeared. Fiyero followed one of the maids to his room. It was a nice room, large and stylishly decorated; there wasn't much he could do, however. He was a Scarecrow; he couldn't very well sleep or wash up. So he just sat on the bed for half an hour or so until he finally decided to leave his room and go find Glinda.

He met Dorothy in the hallway. She looked slightly embarrassed. 'What are you doing here?'

'I could ask you the same thing,' he said pointedly, and she shifted a little uncomfortably. 'I just really wanted to see that Glinda lady so that she can take me to see the Wizard,' she confessed. 'No offense, I like it here, you know, Oz, and all… but I really, really want to get home.'

He smiled at her. 'I understand. Let's go get Lion and Tinman and we'll find Glinda.'

After retrieving their travelling companions, they asked for directions and ended up knocking on the door of Glinda's personal chambers. Her voice called, 'Come in!' and they pushed open the door and entered tentatively.

She looked a bit startled by their appearance, but smiled nonetheless. 'Well, hello there! What can I do for you?'

'We want to see the Wizard now,' Fiyero told her bluntly, and Glinda's gaze shifted towards him. She squinted a little and for a moment, he feared that she would recognise him, but then she shook her head and her gaze drifted towards the others. 'Well…' She faltered. 'He's not exactly… present.'

Fiyero heard Boq curse under his breath. 'What do you mean, not present?' the Tinman asked gruffly. 'Where is he?'

Glinda avoided his gaze. 'His Ozness has recently received some disturbing news and has retreated for a few weeks to gather his thoughts on the matter. He won't be returning for at least another week or so. But you can talk to Madame Morrible,' she offered. 'She's his Press Secretary and she's a sorceress, too.'

They brightened a little. 'Where can we find her?' Dorothy asked and Glinda gave them directions.

They emerged in the Throne Room, where Morrible sat in a chair, tapping her nails against the arm, thinking. When the travelling companions entered the room, she looked up, slightly exasperated. 'What…'

Once again, they explained the situation, but Morrible's expression didn't change. 'Well, as Glinda has told you, his Ozness is not here.'

'She said you might be able to help us,' said Dorothy, and Morrible sighed. 'I can't help you.'

The Lion sighed sadly. 'I was so looking forward to receiving courage.'

'We'd be willing to do something in return,' Boq offered a little too eagerly. 'Like kill the Wicked Witch of the West.'

Fiyero nudged him with his elbow – hard – but Morrible smiled her malicious smile. 'Oh, that's a very kind offer, Master Tinman, but there won't be any need for that. You see, we've captured the Wicked Witch a few weeks ago. She will be brought to death within a few days, burned at the stake, as she deserves. You can attend the ceremony in the middle of the Emerald Square, if you want,' she suggested with a sickly sweet smile. 'It's going to be quite the celebration.'

Fiyero's head was spinning. They had her. They had captured her. They were going to execute her within a few days. He felt as if he might faint, although he wasn't exactly sure that was possible in his current state.

Dorothy tugged his arm. 'Are you okay?' she whispered and he managed a small nod. She smiled, reassured, and directed her attention back towards the woman in front of her.

When they left the woman's quarters and headed back to their rooms, however, Dorothy cornered him. 'Spit it out.'

'Spit what out?'

'You're acting strange,' she insisted. 'I didn't think it was possible for a Scarecrow to pale, since you have no blood and all, but you managed to pull it off – when they said they'd captured the Wicked Witch.' Her eyes widened when realisation hit her. 'She's the girl you love, isn't she?'

'Ssh!' he hissed, clamping a hand over her mouth and looking around frantically. Fortunately, no one seemed to have heard, and he caught her arm and took her to his rooms. Only when he had safely locked the door behind him did he turn around. 'Yes.'

Dorothy sat down, trembling slightly. 'But… she's wicked! She tried to kill me!'

'She's _not _wicked,' Fiyero insisted, anger flaring up inside of him. 'She's just… too stubborn for her own good, I guess. She's a good person, Dorothy, I swear to you she is. She is incredibly caring, sweet, loving, but also strong and determined…' His voice trailed off and he shook his head. 'I'll give you the short version of the story: the Animals, you know, the talking animals we have here in Oz, were in trouble. They were being suppressed and arrested for no reason. Elphaba went to see the Wizard, she wanted to ask him for help with the problems the Animals faced, but instead, she found out he was the reason they were mistreated in the first place. So instead of helping him with his evil plans, she took off. The Wizard and Morrible declared her a Wicked Witch. And everyone has believed that ever since.'

Dorothy took a few moments to progress this new information. 'So you're saying the Wizard and Morrible are evil, but the Wicked Witch is not?' she asked a bit sceptically, and Fiyero sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. 'Yes. I know it must be hard to believe, but it's the truth.'

'But why did she try to kill me then? Back in – what did you call it? Munchkinland?'

'She had just lost her sister, Dorothy,' he said quietly. 'She was grieving. I don't think she really intended to hurt you – she sometimes loses control over her powers when she gets very emotional.'

'So she is a witch, then.'

Fiyero nodded. 'Just not a wicked one.'

Dorothy thought about this some more, then nodded slowly. 'Okay.'

Fiyero was surprised. 'Okay? You believe me?'

'I believe you,' she said, still looking thoughtful. 'Well, I believe _you _believe she's not wicked. I'm not sure if I believe that too. But, well, I can see that you love her a lot, and I think that's sweet, so…' She looked at him questioningly. 'You probably don't want me to mention this to anyone?'

He sighed. 'If you do tell someone, you'll be signing my death warrant. Although I'm not really sure if I care about that if she really is to be brought to death in a few days-'

She looked a little shocked. 'I won't say anything. I promise.'

'Thank you… I guess,' he said tiredly. 'Go to sleep now, Dorothy. It's been a long day.'

She nodded and left the room, and he sat down in the window sill, staring at the brightly glittering green City outside. _Oh, Fae… _He needed to come up with some kind of rescue plan, but to be completely honest, he couldn't think of anything. He should talk to Glinda… tell her who he was. If anyone could help him save Elphaba, it was Glinda.

* * *

'Did you know there's a girl from another world in Oz?' asked Cyara.

Elphaba peered at her through the darkness. 'How do you know?' she countered. She knew about that Dorothy girl, of course – they'd met in Munchkinland. She wanted to hear what Cyara had picked up first, however.

'I overheard the guards talking the other day – while you were out being…' She hesitated and Elphaba helpfully offered, 'Tortured?'

Cyara glared at her. 'Don't sound so casual about it. But yes. That. Anyway, they talked about this girl – apparently she says she's from a place called Kansas, and she wanted to see the Wizard to ask him to get her back home, only she can't, because apparently he left after receiving some shocking news.'

Elphaba stared at her. 'He left?'

'Temporarily,' Cyara hastened to explain. 'I didn't catch all the details, but I'm pretty sure that 'shocking news' means him finding out that you're his daughter.'

Elphaba snorted. 'Yeah, right. Because that must have been _shocking_. If he truly did care, he would have ordered for my execution to be procrastinated.'

'He has,' said Cyara softly, to Elphaba's surprise. 'They said something like that. Only Morrible proclaimed him unstable and plans on proceeding with it, behind the Wizard's back. That's why they were talking about it – they weren't sure whether to follow the Wizard's orders or Morrible's, but they finally decided that since the Wizard's not here and Morrible is, the safe option would be to listen to Morrible and proceed with the execution.'

Elphaba was silent for a while, processing this new information. 'Doesn't change anything,' she finally said softly. 'I'm still going to die. I still _want _to die. I don't really care about any of this.'

Cyara couldn't really comprehend the depth of Elphaba's feelings. 'It's because of _him_. That you don't want to live anymore.' It was a statement, rather than a question. She knew it to be true – she could see it in the other girl's eyes, and it broke her heart. _If love hurts so much, how can it be the beautiful thing everyone always says it is?_

Elphaba only nodded.

'You must have loved him very much,' whispered Cyara, feeling a pang at the thought. She felt so sorry for the other girl. Even though she herself was also hurting – the mere thought of her brother being dead made her feel like she was unable to breath – somehow, Elphaba's heartbreak hurt her even more. It was awful to watch. She truly liked Elphaba and she didn't wish this upon her. She didn't wish this upon anyone.

Elphaba's voice was soft as she answered. 'I did.'

'She killed your sister, didn't she? That Dorothy girl?'

Elphaba shrugged. 'It wasn't really her fault her house landed on Nessa. But yes, technically she killed her. I met her shortly after that… I kind of threatened her,' she confessed. 'I was grieving for my sister – I didn't think straight. But, well, apparently she's fine. I wonder if there's anyone in all of Oz capable of getting the girl home, though.'

Cyara giggled. 'Glinda?'

'She's Dorothy's best chance, I bet.'

'Besides you.'

'I'm to die in a few days. Dead witches don't do spells very well.'

Cyara scowled. 'Stop talking like that. You sound like you don't care.'

'I already told you – I don't.'

'I didn't think you meant it.'

'Well, I did.'

They were silent again. Then Cyara said, 'She picked up some companions on the way. A Scarecrow, a Tinman, and a Lion.'

Elphaba didn't say anything.

'The Tinman must be the Munchkin boy you turned to tin to save, right? I mean, I don't know of any other Tinmen walking around Oz.'

Elphaba sighed. 'Yes, it's probably him. My guess is that he wants to talk to the Wizard to see if he can change him back. What he doesn't know is that the Wizard is a giant fraud.'

Cyara huffed, then sighed. 'I wish my family could just escape the Emerald City… Like I said, we were rich before. Back home, the Wizard doesn't have that much power, but he's keeping my parents here – he told his guards not to let them out of the City. I suppose he thinks they'd be too much of a threat if they got back home – they've got a lot of influence where we come from.'

The witch sat up a little. 'He's keeping your parents captive in the City? Because he's afraid they'd overpower him?'

'I don't know if they'd have the strength to _overpower _him, exactly,' Cyara said thoughtfully. 'But I suppose he just doesn't want to take the risk. Which means that when I get out of here, we'll still be stuck here. Without any of our possessions or power, without even any money…'

Elphaba wrapped her fingers around the bars of her prison cell. 'Listen to me, Cyara. When you get out of here, you need to talk to Glinda, okay? She'll help you – I know she will. She'll help you and your family escape the City, so that you can go back home… and if your parents really are as influential as you say they are, please convince them to at least _try _to overthrow the Wizard and Morrible. Let them collect allies, Glinda can help from the inside… There's nothing I can do anymore, but it's not too late yet for other people to do something. Things can get better in Oz. Better for everyone.'

Cyara looked at the green girl, jaw set in determination, dark eyes glistening and fiery, and for just a moment, she could see the strong person she knew her to be. Elphaba had remained as good as emotionless during her stay in the dungeons, but Cyara had known that wasn't who she was. Now, however, she could really see the fire, the determination, the strong emotions behind the walls. She could imagine the dark-haired girl defying the Wizard, flying on broomsticks, rescuing Animals, but also caring for her younger sister, developing a strong friendship with her complete opposite, loving a man with all her heart. She could see the real Elphaba.

It only lasted a fraction of a clock-tick, but it was enough for Cyara to feel determination rushing all over her herself. She knew there was nothing she could do to save Elphaba, but she also knew she would never forget the green girl, and she would try to honour her legacy in any way she could.

'I'll try,' she promised. 'I'll try my hardest. I promise.'


	5. Chapter 5 Surprises

**AN: As you may have noticed, I have indeed changed the title. This one fits better, I think.**

**Sort of cliffie in the end. Because I couldn't resist.**

**Thank you so much for reviewing and some virtual cupcakes for GirlWithTheNotebook, Failey and BlueD for figuring it out - you'll see what I mean by 'it' in this chapter, if you haven't guessed it already :).**

* * *

When Glinda heard a faint tap at the door, she quickly wiped away her tears and took a deep breath, checking her mirror image. Satisfied – it wasn't too obvious that she had been crying – she rose and cleared her throat. 'Come in.'

She was surprised to see the Scarecrow enter, the one that had been with the little girl – she had thought it would be Morrible. 'Hello. Can I help you?'

The Scarecrow faltered. 'I hope so.'

Glinda looked at him sympathetically. 'Morrible wasn't able to help you?'

He shook his head.

'I'm sorry.'

He looked up and she was taken aback a little by the bright blue eyes looking back at her – eyes that weren't painted at all. Human eyes. Familiar eyes, although she couldn't say in what respect.

'I was hoping you could help me,' he said softly and Glinda already started shaking her head. 'I'm sorry, I don't think I can-'

'You've been crying.'

Her hands flew up towards her flushed face. 'I've had a lot on my mind,' she said, evading the question. 'I'm a little stressed out, that's all.'

The Scarecrow took a step closer. 'Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with your best friend being kept in the dungeons, waiting to be executed?'

Glinda blanched visibly. 'I… I don't know what you're talking about,' she tried faintly, but the Scarecrow stepped even closer, his eyes locked with hers. 'I know about Elphaba.'

Glinda gasped. 'How-'

'Don't ask me how,' the Scarecrow said. 'I just do. And we need to save her.'

Glinda shook her head violently. 'You're crazy.'

'Maybe. I don't have a brain, after all,' he said, and her head shot up and she squinted at him, but she didn't say anything. 'Glinda, please trust me. We need to rescue her!'

Glinda shook her head again. 'Even if I would trust you, and even if I'd know a way to do that, which I don't,' she stressed slowly, 'it wouldn't be of any use. She doesn't want to be rescued.'

That took him off guard. 'What?'

'She doesn't want to be rescued,' repeated Glinda, slumping down into a chair and rubbing her temples. 'Believe me, I've tried to talk to her… She won't have any of it. She made me…' She swallowed difficultly. 'She made me torture her, to convince Morrible that I was really on her and the Wizard's side… She tortured herself, to make it more convincing,' she whispered, and Fiyero was shocked. 'I didn't want to. I'm so sorry I did it…' Glinda buried her face in her hands and wept quietly. 'I wish I knew a way to save her, but I don't, so why don't you just… Just… please leave me alone,' she begged, and Fiyero had never heard so much hurt in her voice before. Not even when he had revealed that he was in love with Elphaba instead of with her. Never. The bubbly blonde Glinda the Good was gone in that moment, and all he saw was a scared little girl.

Without thinking, he kneeled down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. 'Ssh, it's okay,' he said comfortingly – or so he hoped. 'We'll figure something out.'

'Why do you even care?' she snapped suddenly, her head shooting up to look at him. 'How do you know about any of this?'

He took a deep breath. He still didn't want to reveal his true identity to Glinda – it would only make things more complicated, and more difficult for her. It was better if she – if everyone – thought he was dead. But perhaps he would have to tell her after all. 'I knew her, Glinda. I know she's not wicked and I know you two were best friends.'

'Are,' Glinda corrected him angrily, and he complied. '_Are _best friends.'

She took another shuddering breath and he took her hands and looked into her eyes. 'Glinda? Why doesn't she want to be saved? Why is she doing this to herself?'

Glinda laughed bitterly. 'She's given up. Right up to the point where she actually _wants _to die, because she thinks she's got nothing left to live for. She doesn't mind being tortured because she insists that the physical pain distracts her from the emotional pain she's feeling. She's… she's broken.' Fresh tears filled her eyes, and now Fiyero was crying, too. He had to ask, though. Even though he was sure he didn't want to know the answer. 'Why, Glinda?'

Glinda looked up at him with sad eyes. 'How much do you know about her?'

He didn't hesitate for a clock-tick in answering that. 'Pretty much everything there is to know.'

Glinda exhaled and nodded. 'It's because… because of Fiyero. Because he died while saving her, and she feels so guilty… and she loved him so much, and I… I just don't think she can live without him.' She started crying again. 'I can't believe I was so horrible to them when they told me! I betrayed Elphie, and I was so mean to Fiyero, and now he's dead and she'll be dead, too, and I'm such a horrendible person!' She was hiccupping with sobs, and Fiyero pulled her back into his arms, squeezing his own eyes shut as the tears ran down his burlap cheeks. 'I'm sorry, Glin,' he whispered. 'About everything.'

She looked up at him. 'Who _are _you?'

He smiled sadly at her. 'I think you know.'

She squinted at him.

'Let me give you a hint,' he said, stepping away from her. 'Life's more painless for the brainless?'

Her eyes widened.

'It's not true,' he said with another sad smile. 'I literally don't have a brain right now, but it still hurts.'

'Fiyero,' she breathed.

He nodded. 'The one and only.'

She stepped closer. Then she slapped him.

'You Oz-forsaken idiot!' she screeched at him. 'You're _alive_! You didn't even tell me! What's worse, you didn't even tell _Elphie_! It's your fault she's given up!'

A flash of hurt crossed his face. 'Yes,' he admitted softly. 'I don't think I could have contacted her before anyway, but yes, it's my fault. That's why I need your help to fix it, Glinda. Please?'

She was still furious with him, however. 'How could you do this?' she demanded. 'You come waltzing in here with that little brat and two other circus freaks, and you didn't tell me anything! Why didn't you tell me anything?!'

He looked unhappy. 'I'm sorry. No one knew I was still alive, and I thought… I thought it would be easier for you, thinking I was dead.'

Her face fell. '_Easier _for me? Have you got any idea what I've been through in the past weeks? First, my fiancé runs away with my best friend. Then Elphie and I had a fight and I watched you being dragged off to be tortured to death. Elphie turns herself in and is taken captive, meant to _die _within a short period of time, and to top it all off, I have to pretend I _agree _with all of that. And now you're standing here before me telling me that you're alive?'

He felt ashamed of himself. 'I'm really sorry.'

'You're sorry!' she scoffed. 'You're _sorry_!'

Then she flung herself at him and burst into tears.

'I hate you!' she cried into his shoulder. 'I thought you were _dead_!'

He tried to comfort her the best he could, and when she finally pulled away, her eyes were red and puffy. 'Sorry,' she sniffed. 'Now I said horrendible things to you _again_, when I just told you I regretting saying them so much.'

'You're allowed to say horrendible things to me,' he assured her, shifting a bit uncomfortably. 'I deserve it.'

She took a handkerchief from her closet and dabbed at her eyes. 'We have to save Elphie.'

Fiyero opened his mouth to reply when there was a knock on the door. 'Glinda, dear?' Morrible's voice called. 'Are you there?'

Glinda's eyes widened in panic. She pushed Fiyero backwards, into her closet and closed the doors behind him. Then she splashed some water in her face, carefully dabbed it clean and opened the door with a dazzling smile. 'Good afternoon, Madame!'

Morrible peered inside the room. 'Are you alone? I thought I heard voices.'

Glinda waved her away. 'No, no, I was just talking to myself. Deciding on which dress to wear to the grand execution the day after tomorrow,' she gushed, almost convincing even herself. 'What do you think, Madame? I want a colour symbolising joy and happiness, so should I go with yellow or orange? Or perhaps white – I've been thinking about that… although pink would be great, too.'

'You look great in anything, dearie,' Morrible said, slightly annoyed that she had not been able to catch the blonde doing something inappropriate. She still had her suspicions regarding Miss Glinda Upland, but she couldn't be sure of anything until she had proof. 'I just stopped by to see if you were okay.'

Another brilliant smile. 'Why wouldn't I be?'

Morrible smiled back – her usual snake-like smile, one that never failed to send shivers down Glinda's spine. 'You're right, dearie, of course. Now, I'll be busy tomorrow, but we need you on Thursday at the grand balcony around eleven. Can you do that?'

'Of course, Madame!' Glinda chirped. 'I'll be there! Do I have to give a speech about that memorable day?'

'Please do, dear,' Morrible said, locking eyes with the bubbly blonde, who stared back innocently. Morrible finally turned around and left, and Glinda closed the door behind her. She waited a few minutes to make sure the fish-woman wouldn't come back, then she heaved a sigh with relief. She let Fiyero out of the closet. 'Leave now,' she whispered. 'It's too obvious if you're hanging around here all afternoon and it'll be noticed if I skip my meetings. I'll stop by your room tonight around midnight. We'll find a way to free her, Fiyero. I promise.' She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. 'I'm glad you're alive.'

He slipped out the door and she took a moment to calm herself down. _Tonight,_ she promised herself. _Tonight we'll talk. Tonight we'll find a way to save her, no matter what. Just hang on, Elphie. Please just hang on._

* * *

'I still can't believe he would betray you like that,' said Cyara thoughtfully. Her and Elphaba both sat with their back leaned against their prison wall, talking, as they had done a lot in the past days. Tomorrow would be Elphaba's execution, but neither of them mentioned it.

'I mean, you were all friends back at Shiz, right? And you only tried to save him after Nessa magic-spelled him. So why does Boq hate you so much?'

Elphaba sighed. 'I've been asking myself the same question, but he probably blames me for turning him into tin. I don't think he knows Nessa- wait,' she cut herself off and her head shot up as she realised something. 'How do you know his name is Boq? I never told you his name.'

Cyara clamped both hands over her mouth in horror and stared at Elphaba with wide eyes. Elphaba narrowed her eyes. 'How do you know his name?'

Cyara shook her head. 'You must have mentioned it once.'

Elphaba scowled. 'I'm not an idiot, Cyara. I know I didn't mention his name. How do you know?'

The other girl sighed and gave in. 'Let's just say I kind of… knew… one of the persons from your story,' she admitted reluctantly.

Elphaba's head shot up and she sat up and moved towards the bars. 'What?'

'I pretty much knew most of what you told me already,' Cyara confessed. 'At first, I thought it was a coincidence your name was Elphaba – but when I figured out you were indeed Elphaba Thropp, I knew. This… acquaintance of mine told me everything through the letters he wrote me. He went to Shiz with you.'

So Cyara knew a fellow student of hers. That made sense, she supposed – everyone at Shiz had known they were a friend group, Galinda, Fiyero, Boq, Nessa, and the Artichoke. Still… something about this was bugging her. 'Why didn't you say so before?'

Cyara hesitated. 'I… I don't know. This… um… acquaintance… He told me about you. That you seem so confident and strong, but that you're really insecure about yourself, and that you feel guilty about everything that happened… And… well, I was afraid that if you knew who I was, you'd feel guilty towards me. And I didn't want you to. What you're going through… it's bad enough already.' She sighed. 'But now I might as well tell you, since I suppose you're going to bug me with questions anyway until I give in.'

'You're right.' Elphaba went over the list in her head – who could this 'acquaintance' of Cyara's be? There weren't many people who saw through her, who knew the real her – Glinda did, of course, but Glinda and Cyara obviously didn't know one another, and Cyara had referred to her acquaintance as 'he'. So who? That pretty much left only two choices – Boq and… _him_.

'Okay then.' Cyara took a deep breath, but just then, the door opened and a guard came in. 'Miss Elphaba Thropp?'

Elphaba lifted her gaze to meet his. 'Yes?'

'Madame Morrible sent me to let you know that tomorrow morning, you'll be taken from your cell and taken to the grand square in front of the Palace, where you'll be executed at noon exactly. You'll be burned at the stake.'

Cyara gasped, but Elphaba smiled wryly. 'A suitable ending for a witch, I suppose.'

The guard grinned at her. 'Exactly.' Then he turned to face Cyara. 'Miss Cyara Tiggular? You'll be released this Saturday, but if you ever steal anything again, your punishment will be much worse than just a month in prison,' he warned her before stalking off.

Cyara had winced at the guard mentioning her full name, and when she looked over at the other cell, Elphaba was gaping at her. 'Yes…' said Cyara sheepishly. She cleared her throat. 'Um… that was pretty much what I was about to tell you.'

'You're a _family member _of… of _him_?'

The other girl cringed. 'Yes.'

'So what are you?' demanded Elphaba. 'His sister? His cousin? What?'

'I'm his younger sister,' Cyara admitted. She curtsied weakly. 'Princess Cyara Eleonore Tiggular of the Vinkus, at your service. Well, not really at your service, since I'm locked up in a dungeon so I can't really be of much service to you, but, well, you know what I mean, and… and I'm rambling. Could you please say something? You look as if you're about to throw up. Or faint. Or both. Are you okay?'

Elphaba shook her head slowly. 'Yes. Yes, I'm fine.' Flashbacks of her time back at Shiz overwhelmed her – Fiyero showing her and Galinda pictures his younger sister had drawn. 'She's so very talented,' he had said, the pride clear in his voice. 'She's going to be a famous artist someday. I love the pictures she draws and paints – sometimes she sends me a few of her works, and I keep them in my room.' How proud he had been of his little sister…

Cyara smiled weakly. 'Yeah. So… I guess you now understand why I loved my older brother so much.'

Elphaba was dumbstruck. 'Why didn't you tell me?' she whispered. 'I can't believe you even wanted to _talk _to me after you found out I killed your brother – you should hate me!'

'That's why I didn't tell you.'

'Because you'd hate me?'

'Because you would assume I'd hate you,' Cyara corrected her primly. 'Because you'd _want _me to hate you. Because you'd feel guilty towards me, even though my brother dying is absolutely _not _your fault.' She smiled slightly. 'He told me everything about you, Elphaba… I know you better than you'd think.'

Elphaba sat in silence for a while, trying to process this information. 'So you knew all along.'

Cyara nodded.

'About everything.'

She nodded again. 'Pretty much. At least up until the point where Yero and Glinda got engaged. After that, we didn't hear from him again…' She cleared her throat. 'Let me start at the beginning, okay? He went back to the Vinkus with us after Shiz, but he didn't stay for long. He'd admitted to us that he didn't really love Glinda, but they stayed together because they were both hurting after you'd disappeared and they were the only ones that still believed in you… I don't think Fi- _he_,' she corrected herself when she saw the look of hurt flashing across Elphaba's face, 'ever wanted to let it get this far, but Glinda was a little… overexcited, I suppose.'

Elphaba chuckled faintly, mirthlessly. 'Sounds like her.'

'Yeah.' Cyara was silent for a few moments. 'Anyway… he joined the Gale Force because he wanted to find you. Made it to be Captain of the Guard. Looked for you everywhere, but never found you.' She swallowed. 'Like I mentioned before, he vanished when we were on a trip to the Emerald City. My parents and I had come to visit him, and we'd been there for a week or so when his engagement to Glinda was announced. That surprised us, because we knew he hadn't really loved her… not like that. The morning after his engagement ball, he didn't come visit us as he did every morning, and soon thereafter, we learned that he had disappeared.'

_Just for this moment, as long as you're mine… _Elphaba felt awful. She had been selfish. She should have never let him come with her – she had taken him from his family!

'The next thing we knew,' Cyara continued, 'we heard something had happened and he had become a traitor, but we never learned the specifics and no one would tell us what had happened to him…' She faltered. 'I guess now we know.'

A single tear slowly made its way down Elphaba's cheek. She made no effort to wipe it away. 'I'm so sorry,' she whispered.

Cyara shook her head. 'Don't be. It wasn't your fault.'

'But it was,' Elphaba insisted. 'Cyara, I robbed you of him! You, and your parents, and Glinda…'

Cyara shook her head again. 'Elphaba, you must know… he wrote to us constantly. About everything. Especially to me – it's true what I said before, we have… had… a very strong bond. Somewhere along the way, while he was at Shiz, he changed. We all noticed, and after a while, he confessed to me that it was because of you. Something about the two of you rescuing a Lion together?'

Elphaba swallowed difficultly and nodded faintly. Cyara gave her a sympathetic smile. 'He…' She wasn't really sure how to phrase what she wanted to say. 'He really loved you, Elphaba. And… it was his own decision to step up that day and rescue you. He knew the consequences. He knew he would lose his own life to save yours. But he didn't care. I've read his letters, I've seen him when he talked about you – the way his eyes were shining… he loved you more than life itself.'

Elphaba was silently crying now. 'So either way, I messed up,' she choked out hoarsely. 'I still believe it's my fault he's gone… but even if it's not, if it was his own choice… he sacrificed himself to save me,' she whispered. 'And instead of honouring his decision, instead of trying to make the most out of it and do good, save more Animals, do _something_… I gave up. In a day, I'll be dead as well and he will have died for nothing.'

Cyara fell silent. 'That's not what I meant, Elphaba.'

'But it's true, isn't it?'

She couldn't really deny that – in a way, it was true. She wasn't going to tell Elphaba that, however. 'Elphaba, you're the strongest person I've ever met - Fiyero was right about that.' This time, she ignored it when she saw Elphaba wince at the mention of his name. 'But everyone has a breaking point. Not many people would have lasted as long as you have.'

Elphaba snorted, but Cyara insisted. 'Don't do that. It's true.'

The raven-haired witch curled into herself on the floor. 'You're his sister…' she said softly, still not quite grasping that fact.

'I'm sorry I didn't tell you.'

'I understand why.' Elphaba sat up again and looked at Cyara. 'It does explain why you look familiar. It's not because you remind me of Glinda. You… you look like him.'

Cyara twisted a blonde lock of hair around her finger. 'Really?'

Elphaba nodded. 'I mean, you don't have his eyes, or his hair colour… but you have his nose. And his bone structure.' _And his lips_. She swallowed difficultly and lied down again. She sighed. 'Well… I suppose there's not much we can do anymore.'

'No,' agreed Cyara softly, sadly. Elphaba twisted her neck a little to look at the other girl. 'I personally don't believe in an afterlife, but if there is one… I'll tell him you said hi.'

Cyara choked on a half-sob, half-laugh. 'Give him my love.'

'I will.'

* * *

Glinda was absolutely frantic.

The night before, when she had gone to see Fiyero, she had discovered him gone. Just like that. Poof. Vanished. He had been nowhere to be found, and neither had the Tinman, the Lion, or Dorothy.

When she casually asked about it that morning, one of her maids had told her that Morrible had ordered the group out of the palace and out of the City. She had told Dorothy that she couldn't help her and to find her own way back to where she came from. The entire party had been forced to leave and by now, they could be anywhere.

Glinda had been out in her bubble all day, anxiously searching for any sign of them, but without success; and now, as she woke up to the first beams of sunlight filling her room, she felt as if a heavy weight had settled itself on her chest and it wouldn't go away. Today was the day of Elphie's execution.

Somehow, she managed to drag herself out of bed and into the shower, after which she put on a sunset-orange dress. She styled her hair, applied her make-up, secured her tiara on top of her head, took her wand. Looked at her mirror image and knew she must look dazzling, as always, but this time, she couldn't look past the empty blue eyes staring back at her. Ever since she had befriended the green girl at Shiz, Elphaba had been like a sister to her. And now… not only had she betrayed her, her best friend in the world, but she was about to watch her die. It felt as if a part of herself was dying, too.

She left her room and moved to the balcony she was supposed to be on during the ceremony. She swallowed, but the lump in her throat didn't want to go away. She stepped out into the sunlight, putting on a bright smile, waving at the Ozians below her. They all cheered for her. Why would they cheer for her? She was a traitor. The most horrendible friend ever. The most horrendible _girlfriend _ever. If anyone around here was wicked, it was her – she who was commonly known as Glinda the _Good_.

Oz, how she hated herself.

She held her speech without really realising what she was saying. She watched as the procession came closer, an impressive amount of Gale Force soldiers with Elphaba in the middle. She knew her friend was there, even if she couldn't see her, and her heart ached. She watched as the soldiers escorted her friend to the stake in the middle of the pile of wood that was on the square. Ozians gathered around it and called for the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba looked up once and met Glinda's gaze, giving her a half-hearted smile to reassure her that she didn't blame her friend. But Glinda still blamed herself.

They lit the torch.

The dry wood caught fire immediately.

* * *

'Miss Elphaba Thropp?'

Elphaba lifted her head from where it was resting on the cot in her cell.

The guard standing outside looked at her with a slightly softer gaze than usual. She knew – it was time. She rose gingerly and moved to the bars, allowing the guard to take her out.

Cyara flew towards the bars of her cell. 'Elphaba!'

'Don't worry, I'll give him your love,' the dark-haired witch said in a half-hearted attempt to lighten the air, but her voice broke and Cyara cried, too. She stretched out her arm, wiggling it through the bars and reaching for Elphaba. The guard stepped back a little, allowing the green girl to get closer to Cyara and take her hand, squeezing it tightly. 'You'll be fine, Cyara,' she told the younger girl firmly. 'You're going to get out of here, and you're going to do great things. Don't cry for me.'

'But I'll miss you,' whispered Cyara, still crying, and Elphaba squeezed her hand once more before letting go. The guard tied her hands behind her back and led her away. Elphaba gave Cyara one more sad smile over her shoulder. 'Goodbye, kid,' she said softly. Then the guard took her towards the door.

'No!' Cyara yelled, clutching the bars until her knuckles went white. 'Elphaba!'

But her only answer was the heavy door slamming shut with a loud thump.

Elphaba blinked against the sunlight as the guard pushed her forward. More guards joined them, Gale Force soldiers, as they took her towards the giant stake in the middle of the square. They tied her to it and she tried to ignore the people around her. Her eyes found Glinda's and she gave her friend a shaky smile which she hoped would be just the tiniest bit reassuring. Then they lit the wood.

Elphaba took a deep breath and braced herself.

This was it.


	6. Chapter 6 Release

**AN: Thank for the reviews, guys. They were really funny :D (I'm so mean. But why do you think I keep doing this - almost killing Elphaba or Fiyero? Because your reactions make me laugh! :D)**

**But seriously. How many stories of mine have you guys read?**

**In how many of them did either Elphaba or Fiyero almost die?**

**And in how many of them did they _actually _die - and stay dead?**

**My point exactly. Trust me, somehow, someway, all my multichaps have a happy ending. Only usually it gets worse before it gets better ^_^.**

* * *

'I have to get back,' Fiyero insisted urgently, pacing up and down as he had been doing all night. 'I have to!'

'Well, you can't,' Boq snapped. 'They kicked us out. Trust me, I wanted to stay as well – if only to see that evil witch burn.'

Fiyero lunged forward and threw himself at Boq, knocking the Tinman over. 'You do _not _talk about her that way!' Fiyero growled. 'Elphaba _saved _you, for Oz's sake! I can't believe you would turn your back on her like that! You have _no _idea what she's been through!'

'How would you know?' the Tinman spat. 'What the hell is _wrong _with you?'

'I could ask you the same question, _Boq_!'

The Tinman stopped struggling. 'How do you-'

'Because I'm Fiyero, you Oz-damned idiot!'

Boq's eyes widened. 'Fiyero? But-'

Fiyero jumped up suddenly. 'I have to get back.' He whirled around to face Dorothy, his eyes pleading. 'Please. I have to save her.'

The girl nodded solemnly. 'I'll help you.'

'Save her?' Boq spluttered. 'But… Didn't she turn you into this, then? Into a Scarecrow?'

'She did,' Fiyero told him, looking him straight in the eye. 'To save my life. And I bet that's what happened to you, too.'

'But-'

'Your name is Fiyero?' the Lion asked suddenly. He had been cowering behind Dorothy the whole time, but was now carefully emerging from behind her legs. 'And… and the witch's name is Elphaba?'

Fiyero nodded in frustration. 'What does _that _have anything to do with it?'

The Lion wrinkled his nose in thought. 'I just… I think I remember something. I've heard those names before… but I was a small Cub, I think… I'm not sure.'

Fiyero stared at him. 'Oh my Oz. You're the Lion Cub.'

Boq and Dorothy looked at him blankly. 'Huh?'

'The Cub Elphaba and I saved that day in History class,' Fiyero said slowly. 'That professor hurt you, but Elphaba and I rescued you and set you free. That was you!'

The Lion looked confused. 'You rescued me? But…' He blinked a few times. 'I remember something about being locked in a cage…'

'The professor did that,' said Fiyero. 'We set you free.'

Boq looked angry. 'I don't understand any of this.'

The Lion shook his head. 'Me, neither.'

'Don't worry, Scarecrow – I mean, Fiyero… I'll help you,' Dorothy promised. 'We have to get back into the City, right? Do you have a plan?'

Fiyero looked miserable. 'No.'

Dorothy thought about it for a while. 'You're made of straw, right? That means you don't weigh all that much. Perhaps we can find a way to get you _over _the wall. But it might not be pleasant,' she warned.

'I don't care,' Fiyero said firmly. 'I only have one chance. I _have _to do this.'

Dorothy only hesitated for a moment before nodding her agreement. 'Okay. Let's find a spot where you might be able to climb over the wall.'

* * *

It took them some time and effort, but eventually, with the help of a few well-positioned tree branches, Fiyero managed to scramble up and over the wall. 'Good luck!' Dorothy called after him, and he waved at her before leaping down, using the rooftops to get down to the street, landing on his back with a loud thump. He quickly scrambled up and started running.

Luckily, no one had spotted him, and he ran straight to the square where he knew the execution would take place. There were a lot of people there and he couldn't see Elphaba, but judging by the excited mutters around him, she was already there and it was only a matter of time before she would be burned.

Burned. He suppressed a shiver at that awful thought. _You're _not _going to think about that,_ he told himself sternly. _You'll save her. You have to._

He came closer and he could see her then, at the stake, the pile of wood around her already lighted. He couldn't help but notice how horrendible she looked; there were angry cuts all over her emerald skin. There was some dried blood on her dress, which was ripped, and she was hunched over a little, clearly in pain. When he circled around the stake in an attempt to get closer, he noticed with a pang the bloody streaks on her back from where she must have been whipped. His heart ached for her, and he started to grow desperate. The fire was getting closer to her and he couldn't see any way in which he could save her. He couldn't even get close to her. He was a Scarecrow, and though he would happily sacrifice himself again to save her, he knew that wasn't an option. One, because he would be burned himself before he'd even be able to get to her – straw burns easily – and two, because he now knew that she wouldn't go on without him. It wouldn't be of any use; she wouldn't save herself because she didn't want to live without him, and though he felt oddly touched by that, it also frustrated him to no end.

The fire got even closer and he shouted her name. 'Fae!' He started making his way through the crowd again, pushing people aside, screaming with a despair in his voice he didn't even know he possessed. 'Fae! You can't kill her, let her go! Fae!'

At hearing the familiar nickname, Elphaba lifted her head, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, scanning the crowd with her eyes. 'Fiyero?' she whispered, but she knew that wasn't possible. He was dead. Everyone knew he was dead.

And it wasn't him – it was a Scarecrow, probably the one that had come with the little girl. She could see him now, pushing his way through the mob, screaming her name. 'Fae!'

How did he know that nickname? Her eyes narrowed and she squinted at him, trying to get a better look. He was close enough then to get a close look at her and he stopped. Their eyes locked and her breath caught in her throat.

It was him. She was sure of that now – it was him. Those eyes… she would recognise those eyes anywhere.

He could see her lips form his name and he lurched forward again. 'Fae!' He could see the fire creeping up towards her and she looked at him with what he thought was sadness in her eyes.

Then the fire blazed and flamed up around her, engulfing her in flames and smoke. He screamed louder. 'No!' He ran towards the fire, but just then, it died down a little – enough for him to see the wooden stake in the middle of it, heavily scorched. There was nothing left but ashes… ashes and a piece of black fabric, smouldering in the fire.

'No,' he whispered. Then, louder, 'NO!' He started running again, determined to throw himself into the fire with her. Without her, it was over. Life would be nothing but meaningless and extremely painful without her.

Just then, a hand caught his arm, yanking him backwards. 'Don't be an Oz-forsaken idiot,' a voice whispered harshly, and when he turned around, he stumbled. Dark chocolate eyes looking at him in a mixture of exasperation and amusement, from a pale green face, surrounded by a dark black hood. 'F-Fae?'

She brought a finger to her lips and suddenly, he snatched her to him and crushed her against his chest, relief washing over him as he held her tightly. She made a choked sound. 'Even Wicked Witches need to breathe, Yero.'

He let go. 'How…'

She shook her head. 'No time for that now. Come with me.' She caught his wrist and started dragging him through the crowd.

They moved quickly, but not suspiciously so, as they made their way through the City and out the gates, into the Gillikin Forest. Fiyero recalled the night they had spent there, not too long ago, and a faint smile curled his lips. She was here with him. She was alive. He had no clue how that was even possible, but he didn't care. She was alive, and they were together again. That was all that mattered.

Elphaba finally stopped, slightly out of breath when she turned around to face him. Her hood had fallen back and her ebony hair tumbled over her shoulders as if it were a blanket. Even with the visible scars and injuries, she looked so incredibly beautiful that he couldn't help himself – he leaned forward and kissed her.

She kissed him back, winding her arms around his neck and pressing her body against his. When he pulled back a little, she brought one hand up to touch his cheek. 'Yero, I…'

He knew what she was about to say. 'You saved my life.'

She shook her head, her eyes suddenly filled with tears. 'I… I didn't mean to… to do _this_. I'm sorry, Yero,' she whispered, and he took her hand and kissed her palm. 'You saved my life,' he insisted. 'That's all that matters.'

'I'll change you back,' she promised quietly, and he kissed her softly in return. She deepened the kiss and he tangled is hand in her long black hair as he kissed her until they were both out of breath. Then he pulled back a little. 'How did you…'

'Magic spell,' she murmured between kisses. 'I had one in reserve, just in case. Learned it by heart a few years ago in case I got captured and needed to save myself.'

He pulled back again to stare at her. 'So you could have saved yourself anytime? When you were first taken captive? When you were locked up? When you were tortured?'

She shrugged. 'Not really. This one was for… emergencies. I wasn't even sure it would work – for all I knew, it would change me into a newt. But when I saw you, I… I had to try.'

'Why didn't you use it before?' he insisted, and she averted her eyes. 'Like I said, it was an emergency spell.'

'And you don't consider being tortured an emergency?' he demanded a bit angrily, looking at her. 'Tell me, Fae, and be honest – if I hadn't turned up, would you have used the spell to save yourself?'

She avoided his gaze. That pretty much answered his question. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. 'Why would you _do _that, Elphaba?' he yelled. 'I can't believe you would _do _this to yourself!'

She yanked herself free, eyes blazing. 'Oh, you're one to talk!' she snapped. 'Please refresh my memory – who just almost threw himself in the fire after he thought he saw me burn to death?'

He fell silent, looking rather sheepish – it was true, after all. 'That was different.'

'Why?' she demanded. 'You're being a hypocrite – you criticise _me _for wanting to die without you, but you think it's perfectly okay for _you _to die without me?'

'Because I'm just a stupid brainless prince!' he yelled back at her. 'And _you_ are the strongest and most amazing person in Oz!'

'Well, perhaps I was tired of being strong and amazing!' she shouted. 'And you're not stupid and brainless!'

They glared at each other for a while, both out of breath from the running and the yelling – and the kissing before that. Then Elphaba started to chuckle.

'What's so funny?' Fiyero demanded, staring at her. She was still laughing. 'This. Us. We're being ridiculous.'

A faint smile curled his lips. 'We are, aren't we?'

She was still laughing when she launched herself into his arms, but then she buried her face in his chest and started crying.

He pulled back a little to look at her, gently wiping away her tears with his thumbs. 'Don't cry, green girl,' he whispered, but she couldn't stop – she kept on sobbing, desperate hiccup-sobs that racked her entire body. 'I- I thought you were dead!' she managed to choke out, and he held her closer to him. 'I know, Fae,' he murmured against her hair. 'I know. But I'm here now.'

That only made her cry harder and he just held her until she calmed down a little. 'I love you, Fae,' he whispered. 'So much.'

'I love you too,' she whispered back, still half sobbing, and she sighed as he rested his chin on the top of her head. 'I missed you.'

He smiled. 'Really? I couldn't tell.'

She punched him – hard – and he jumped. 'I guess I deserved that,' he muttered, rubbing his arm with a painful expression on his face.

She smirked at him. 'You did.' Then she looked around and her smile faded. 'We should go, before they find us.'

He nodded and took her hand, and together they got going again.

* * *

They headed for Kiamo Ko, the castle Fiyero had mentioned before, with the secret chambers and trapdoors. They figured they'd be relatively safe there for the time being and they both needed some time to catch their breath – the past weeks had been hectic. When they started walking, however, Fiyero realised that he hadn't seen before how hurt Elphaba really was.

Before, they had both been thriving on adrenaline; now that the adrenaline had faded, however, he could see that she was in a much worse condition than she had let on. She was limping, and though she put on a brave face and even snapped at him when he dared to mention it, she was clearly in pain. After watching her torture herself like that for an hour or so, Fiyero gently made her stop. 'Fae, you need to rest.'

She shook her head. 'No time.'

'This isn't working,' he persisted. She hesitated, then nodded. 'You're right. We should travel by broom.' She frowned. 'They took it from me when I was captured, but I think I can make a new one…'

'That's not what I-'

'Could you get me a nice thick branch and a few smaller twigs, please? I'll make a new broom for us and we can fly towards the castle.'

He spluttered a little, but she managed to shut him up with one pointed look and he sighed. 'Fine.'

When he brought her the tree branches, she quickly turned them into a broomstick and muttered a spell under her breath. Then she got on. 'Come on.'

He hesitated for a moment, then got on the broomstick behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She kicked off and moments later, they were in the air, flying high above the gray clouds so that they couldn't even see Oz anymore – and, Fiyero knew, so that Oz wouldn't be able to see _them_.

Now that he was sitting behind her, he got the chance to study her back. His stomach churned at the sight of the bloody lashes covering it, in several stages of healing, but still looking awful. He gingerly touched one of them, carefully sliding his finger down the scar, and she shivered a little. He tightened his grip around her. 'Are you cold?'

She shook her head and he went back to studying the scars on her back. He traced another one and sighed shakily. 'I'm so sorry.'

She glanced over her shoulder. 'What for?'

'This,' he said, indicating her back. Another shaky sigh. 'Everything.'

She shook her head. 'You have nothing to be sorry for, Yero,' she said gently. 'I made my own decisions… and so did you. Could we please just… forget all of that? For now? Just for this moment?'

He smiled and planted a soft kiss on her shoulder. 'As long as you're mine,' he whispered. 'Only this time, it won't be just for this moment. If it's up to me, it'll be forever.'

She glanced over her shoulder again and met his gaze for a moment before turning back. 'I wish it were up to you.'

'Me, too,' he murmured, resting his cheek against her back and closing his eyes for a moment. He could hear her breathing, and her heartbeat, and it calmed him a little. She was really here. They were both alive and here, and for now, that was enough.

* * *

Glinda looked up when a guard stepped into her office and cleared his throat. 'Some people to see you, Miss.'

Somehow, she managed to look only faintly annoyed while she was screaming inside. 'Now?'

He nodded. 'They say it's important.'

She heaved a sigh. 'Very well then. Let them in,' she said flatly. She couldn't believe she had just watched her best friend burn to death. She needed someone right now, _anyone, _but there was no one there. Elphie was gone. Fiyero had disappeared. No one else would understand why she was so upset.

Three people entered her office. One was a scruffy-looking man, with beside him a scruffy-looking woman and an even scruffier-looking girl. Glinda, however, was by now way past the stage of judging people on their appearance. 'Hello. How can I help you?' Her eyes flickered to the girl and she smiled sadly. 'Oh… You're the girl that was with Elphie in the dungeons.'

Cyara nodded. 'They let me out today. My name is Cyara.' She hesitated for a moment, then curtsied. 'Princess Cyara Eleonore Tiggular of the Vinkus.'

Glinda gasped.

The girl went on. 'These are my parents.'

The King and Queen of the Vinkus stepped closer and Glinda curtsied herself. 'Your Majesties… I- I don't understand – what happened?'

And so Cyara told her everything – about the Wizard arresting her parents for no reason and releasing them, but having taken everything away from them, and about him then forbidding them to leave the City. 'Elphaba said I should go to you for help,' she explained quietly.

Glinda's eyes filled with tears then. 'Oh, Elphie!' she suddenly sobbed, burying her face in her hands. 'I'm so sorry!'

Cyara tentatively laid a hand on Glinda's arm. 'It's not your fault, Miss Glinda. There was nothing you could have done to change her mind.'

'I tried to go and see her!' wailed the blonde. 'The day before, I tried, I really tried! But they wouldn't let me through! And now she's dead, and she didn't even know that Fiyero is still alive, and she's never coming back again and it's all my fault!' With that, she collapsed in her chair, crying her eyes out.

Cyara was startled. So were her parents. 'Fiyero is _alive_?'

Glinda managed to pull herself together a little and nodded weakly. 'He came to see me… a day or so before her execution. She… he… do you know what happened?'

Cyara nodded. 'She told me everything.'

Glinda nodded, too. 'So you know Fiyero sacrificed himself for her… only she tried to save him, with a spell, and it worked – sort of, anyway. He's a Scarecrow now,' she admitted and Cyara's eyes widened. 'But he's alive,' Glinda added quickly, which was enough to make the Queen cry as well, her husband holding her gently. Cyara's eyes filled with tears, too. 'Are you sure?'

Glinda nodded miserably. 'Yes. Only I can't promise you for how long. He… He seemed to have the same… um… _beliefs_ about life as Elphaba.'

Cyara immediately understood. 'You mean he'd probably try to kill himself somehow if he found out she was gone.'

Glinda nodded again, letting her head rest on her arms. 'Yes…'

'I wish we could see him,' the Queen said, her voice thick with tears. 'Just… just one more time. We were so heartbroken when he disappeared…'

Cyara met Glinda's gaze. 'I know this probably sounds stupid, but… but knowing Elphaba, and knowing Fiyero… I don't think they're dead.'

Glinda looked up. 'What?'

Cyara hesitated. 'Yero… he loved Elphaba. More than anything. And he knew about her execution, right?'

Glinda nodded. 'Right.'

'He must have come up with some plan to save her… somehow.'

'He was banned from the City,' protested Glinda. 'He couldn't even get in!'

'Is he the Scarecrow that travelled with that little girl we heard of?' asked Lori suddenly. Glinda looked at the Vinkun Queen. 'Yes.'

'We saw him in the City that day,' King Hamold chimed in. 'It was quite the display – he was running around the square, pushing people aside, screaming his head off. But later, some people saw him leave the City.'

'He wouldn't have left if he just watched Elphaba burn to death,' whispered Glinda. 'He wouldn't have done that. If he was really there, if he really watched her die… he would have jumped into that fire with her. Not a shadow of a doubt.'

'True,' agreed Cyara quietly. 'So…'

'So they must still be alive!' Glinda suddenly exulted, jumping up, sending papers flying from her desk as she did a silly little happy dance. 'Elphie and Fiyero are still alive!' Cyara could clearly see the change in her – the blonde's eyes were shimmering again, bright and lively, and she looked perkier than ever. 'Okay, here's what we're going to do,' she said, immediately taking matters into her own hands. 'I'm going to let you clean up here in the palace, and tonight, you'll be leaving the City. All three of you. We'll pretend that you are messengers I sent you.' She looked at Cyara. 'When you get back to the Vinkus, try to collect as many allies as possible. The Wizard isn't here at the moment, so all we need to do is overthrow Morrible and take in the Emerald City, convincing the people that the Wizard and Morrible are evil in the process, and all of Oz will be safe and happy!'

'You make it sound like child's play,' muttered Cyara under her breath. Lori wrapped one hand around her daughter and looked at Glinda with trust in her eyes. 'We'll try the very best we can.'

Glinda hugged them all, then had a maid take them to some simple, but fully furnished – including clothing and toiletries - rooms so that they could clean up. Then she took a deep breath, feeling as good as new again.

This time, she wasn't going to sit back and watch as all of Oz fell apart. The belief that Elphaba was still alive gave her the final strength she needed. One way or another, they were going to overthrow the Wizard and make things better in Oz.


	7. Chapter 7 Changes

**AN: Aww, thank you all so much! Those reviews were lovely! :)**

**I have to admit, I kinda liked the reunion scene myself. It was one of the few things I'd written in advance, because one day during a lecture at university, I was like, 'OMO, I've got the perfect reunion scene!' and I wrote it down (during that lecture, naturally), even though back then, I'd only finished one chapter of the story or so :P. I always do that - the general storyline is in my head, and sometimes random scenes just pop up in detail and I _have _to write them down. What I also always do is write during my lectures. Bad habit. Still can't stop it.**

**So... fluff! :D Don't worry, torture & drama will once again kick in soon enough.**

* * *

When they finally landed on one of the many balconies the castle of Kiamo Ko had to offer, Elphaba stumbled, and Fiyero had to grab her arm to steady her. 'I told you you should have rested!'

'Shut up, Yero.' She pushed open the balcony doors and stepped inside one of the many bedrooms. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves a little. Ever since her escape from the stake, she had been on edge, adrenaline coursing through her veins, and that feeling still hadn't left her completely.

Fiyero noticed, of course, and gently rubbed her shoulders. 'Come on. Let's go to bed.'

'Do you even sleep?' she asked as he gently urged her to lie down on the bed. He shook his head. 'No. But I'm not leaving you.'

Those words made her heart soar, and she kissed him passionately, winding her arms around his neck. His own arms slid around her waist as he drew her closer, deepening the kiss. She moaned softly. 'Oz, I missed you so much,' she murmured, and he responded by pulling her even closer and kissing her senseless.

He tucked her in, crawling under the blankets with her and wrapping his arms around her, so that she could use him as a pillow. She snuggled closer to him with a sigh, closing her eyes. 'I wish I was able to freeze time right now,' she whispered, and he kissed the top of her head. 'So do I, my green girl.'

'You know, I'm not sure whether or not I should be offended by that new nickname,' she complained, making him grin. 'I think I prefer 'Fae'. Although, well, at least I know where 'green girl' comes from, while I'm still not sure about the origins of 'Fae'.'

He chuckled softly. 'I can call you anything I want,' he whispered, and she shivered as she felt his breath caress her cheek. 'Because you're mine now. My green girl.' He kissed her shoulder. 'My Fae.' Brushed her collarbone with his lips. 'My amazing beauty.' He softly trailed kisses along her neck and throat and up her jaw bone, eliciting another soft moan from her. 'My talented sorceress,' he said, moving on along her cheek and kissing the tip of her nose. 'My miracle.' He kissed her forehead and looked at her until she looked up to meet his gaze. 'My reason for living,' he then whispered, before capturing her lips once again in a gentle kiss.

'Mm,' she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. 'I like that.'

'Being my reason for living?'

She smiled and closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling of his arms around her. 'That, too, although I think that one's kind of scary, too. But I meant being yours in general.'

She could almost feel him smile, too. 'You'll always be mine, Fae. And I'll always be yours.' He kissed her once more, then pulled up the blankets so that they covered her up to her chin. 'Go to sleep now, my little witch. You need it.'

She huffed and glared up at him. 'I'm not little.'

He only chuckled softly. 'Go to _sleep_, Fae.'

She obediently closed her eyes again and tried to sleep, but she already knew she wouldn't be able to. Too much had happened today; her mind was reeling and she was completely and utterly restless. Finally, she just gave in and sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest. 'What happened? After I left?'

He knew what she meant without having to ask and he sat up as well. 'Glinda… she tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen. Then they took me to the cornfield and tied me to a pole.' She winced, and he knew he would not tell her what had _really _happened. She would only feel guilty about it and he didn't want that. 'They had guns and whips, but I was lucky. They hit my head and I blacked out.' In reality, they had been beating and whipping him for at least an hour or so, perhaps even longer, before he had finally fallen unconscious. 'When I came to, they were gone and I was…'

'A Scarecrow,' she whispered, but he rested his fingers under her chin and tilted her head to look at him. '_Alive_.'

She swallowed. 'Did it hurt?'

He shook his head. 'It happened so soon, I barely noticed any pain.' The truth? It had felt as if they had been ripping his body apart slowly, inch by inch, an awful, searing pain that had crippled and paralysed him and had been worse than anything he had ever felt and was sure he'd ever feel.

Unfortunately – for him – she was far too perceptive to buy that so easily. She narrowed her eyes at him. 'You're lying to me.'

'I'd never do that!' he protested, but her eyes only narrowed further. 'We both know you would… if you thought you'd be protecting me by doing so. _Tell _me, Fiyero. I'm not a little girl anymore.'

'I'm not implying that you are.' He sighed and raked his fingers through his straw hair. 'Fine, it… it did hurt. A little.'

She gave him her famous death glare.

'A lot,' he finally conceded, and she sighed and rested her chin on her knees. 'I'm so-'

'Don't even go there,' he warned her. 'One more apology from your lips and I'm going to…'

She looked at him in faint amusement. 'To do what?'

He grumbled. 'I'll think of something.'

She laughed and kissed him. 'Yero my hero,' she murmured, and he returned the kiss. 'Would you go to sleep now?'

She shook her head. 'No. Tell me what happened afterwards – with the girl, Dorothy.'

He told her everything that had happened, including the fact that Dorothy had helped him, while Boq and the Lion had merely been extremely confused. Elphaba was amazed at the fact that the Lion was the Cub they saved so many years ago, and when he was done, she muttered, 'Huh. I guess I owe the little brat an apology, then.'

Fiyero grinned at her. 'Don't worry, I already told her you didn't mean to hurt her. She understood.'

Elphaba huffed. 'I hate admitting that I was wrong.'

'No one will blame you, Fae. You were grieving.'

'Yeah…' Her eyes got a distant look in them and she sighed. 'Oh, Nessa…' Then she shook her head and got out of bed.

'Fae, you were going to go to sleep!' he protested, and she smirked at him. 'No, I said I was going to bed. I went to bed. Now we have more important things to do.'

He propped himself up on his elbows. 'Fae…'

She ignored him and left the room. He could hear her rummage around in the tower room and he followed her up the stairs. This must have been where she cast the spell to save him, he realised; there were books thrown all through the room, the floor was covered in candles and what he assumed to be magical herbs, and the few vases and breakable things in the room had been shattered.

She followed his look and looked sheepish. 'I, um.. I thought the spell didn't work. I didn't take that well.' She cleared her throat. 'The vases and the books were the only things around. I'm just happy there weren't any people with me, otherwise they'd probably have ended like the vases.'

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. 'I understand, Fae,' he whispered. She sighed and leaned into his embrace for a moment, then pulled away and walked over to a large chest in the corner of the room. She opened it and dragged a giant book out of it, taking it with her to the middle of the room, nearly toppling over with the weight of it. Fiyero quirked an eyebrow. 'What's _that_?'

'The Grimmerie,' she said, and he remembered what Glinda had told him about this specific book. The book that all the horrors had started with. 'Is that were you found the spell to save my life?'

She nodded. 'No other magic book has such powerful spells in it.' She opened it and flipped through the pages.

'Um… Fae?'

She glanced up for a moment.

'What are you doing?'

'Looking for a counter spell,' she said, directing her attention back at the book in front of her. Fiyero sighed. 'You can't. Not now. You're exhausted, Fae, and-'

'I can take care of myself, Yero. And more importantly, perhaps I can take care of you, too.' She sighed and flicked another page. 'I wish I could just reverse it…'

'Can't you?' he asked, and she shook her head. 'Morrible said the spells from the Grimmerie are irreversible. Our only hope is another spell.'

Fiyero raised an eyebrow at her. 'Morrible also said that you were wicked.'

She sighed again and looked up. 'Well, yes. I see your point. But I… I don't think _reversing _the spell would be such a good idea. You see, reversing it would mean you got back to the state you were in before you… you know… changed.'

He looked at her in confusion. 'That's the point, isn't it?'

'The _tortured _state you were in,' she pointed out, and his face fell. 'Ah. Yes. Of course.'

She looked up at him. 'How injured were you when you changed?'

'I don't know,' he confessed. 'I fell unconscious before it happened.'

'Perhaps I could re-write the spell,' she mumbled, still flipping through the pages. 'Reverse it, but to a point earlier in time… before you were dragged off into the cornfield.' She sighed, then her eyes lit up. 'Here it is – the original spell.'

He leaned forward to watch over her shoulder. 'Is that it?' He tried out the words. 'Eleka nahmen-'

'Don't!' She leapt to her feet and pressed her hand against his mouth. '_Never _read anything aloud from this book,' she told him sternly before releasing him.

He stared at her. 'I don't even have magic powers!'

'Neither did Nessa,' she reminded him. 'Not that I knew of, anyway. And still she managed to turn Boq into tin. I'm not taking any more risks with this book, Fiyero. It has caused enough pain already. You can read it, but in silence, okay?'

With that, she sat back down and started copying the spell on a piece of parchment. Then she flipped through the pages again, taking bits and pieces from several spells en adding them to her list. Then she started puzzling, putting the words together in different orders, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she thought about it. He loved to watch her think. She's look so focused, a determined look on her face, and when she'd find the solution, her eyes always lit up with excitement.

She hesitated when she reached a page in the back of the book. 'This spell might work, too… something about restoring an object to its state before 'the awakening'…' she muttered, more to herself than to him. 'It's one of the lighter spells – even if it doesn't work, I don't think it could do much harm.'

'Well, let's try it then, shall we?' he said. 'Tomorrow.'

She glared at him. 'Now.'

He shook his head. 'You're too tired, Fae, you need to-'

'_Eleka Ah Tum Laritos Nime Tum Nah Akele Tum!'_

He scowled at her. 'You must be the most stubborn and pig-headed person I've _ever_-' He interrupted himself with a gasp when a faint green light surrounded him. 'Is that the spell?'

'Must be,' she said, her gaze fixed on him worriedly. 'I hope it works.'

'So do I.' The light brightened until he couldn't see her anymore and suddenly, there was a sense of falling.

Then everything went black.

* * *

'Everything's ready,' Glinda whispered. She looked around to make sure no one could see or hear them, then added sternly, 'Now listen to me very carefully. What we're doing here is for the greater good. We _need _our King and Queen of the Vinkus to help bring down the Wizard, or all will be lost. If anything happens, if one or two of you get a chance to get out of the City, _do it_. I understand you don't want to leave each other behind, but you'll _have _to if necessary. For Oz. Please?'

Hamold nodded immediately – he knew how important this cause was and he understood, as a King, that sometimes, sacrifices had to be made, no matter how painful. Lori sighed, but gave in as well. 'I just hope it won't be necessary.'

'Me, too,' said Glinda, heaving a sigh as well. She hugged the King and Queen of the Vinkus and their daughter. 'I hope you make it. All of you. And I wish you all the best… and good luck.'

'Thank you,' Cyara said softly, hugging the blonde girl back. Glinda smiled at her. 'Say hi to Fiyero and Elphie if you see them.'

'I will,' she promised, feeling a pang at a memory imposing itself on her. _I personally don't believe in an afterlife, but if there is one, I'll tell him you said hi. _Oz, she hoped both Elphaba and Fiyero were alright…

Glinda nodded and left then, and Cyara took a deep breath and focused on the task ahead of her. She and her parents would pose as messengers for Glinda, sent to Munchkinland. There was nothing uncommon about that; messengers had been travelling back and forth between the City and Munchkinland ever since Nessarose Thropp had died and Munchkinland had ended up without a Governor. They hoped their façade would work.

She embraced her parents. 'No matter what happens, Cyara,' Lori told her earnestly, 'remember that we love you, and we always will.'

'I love you too,' Cyara said in a small voice, hugging them again. Then she took another breath and nodded. 'Let's do this.'

They started walking towards the gate, trying to look as casual as possible. It seemed to go well, but Cyara had a growing sense of wrong and she couldn't seem to shake it. Something was off. Something was going to happen, judging by the pricking in her neck, and she didn't trust it. She slowed down a little, allowing her parents to walk ahead of her, as she tried to assess the situation. When he father looked over his shoulder questioningly, she nodded that he go on.

At the gate, a guard eyed the couple up and down. 'What's your business outside the City?' he barked.

'We are messengers, sent by Miss Glinda the Good Witch of the North, to Munchkinland,' explained Lori in a firm voice.

The guard narrowed his eyes. 'Do you have the required papers?'

Lori dug into her bag and handed him the papers for her and Hamold. Her eyes flickered toward her daughter briefly, who was still staying behind, squinting at the guards. She knew them…

Then, with a small shock, she realised that they were some of the guards from the dungeons and her heart sank. What were they doing here, at the gates? They had brought her food for a month – they'd recognise her, she was sure of that. Already, one of them was squinting in her direction. 'Hey, you!'

She turned to face him, trying to look inconspicuous. 'Who, me?'

'Yes, you!' the guard barked. 'You're the little girl from the dungeons!'

'They let me out,' she said, and the guard laughed. 'Little tramp like you? You'll be back in there in no time.' He narrowed his eyes at Lori and Hamold suddenly. 'Are you with them?' he asked Cyara suspiciously.

She knew she couldn't come with her parents now. She also knew they had to get out of here, with or without her. So she said, 'No.'

The guard turned to her parents. 'Do you know this girl?'

Lori shook her head, to Cyara's relief, and Hamold even went as far as to wrinkle his nose. 'We're from the palace, sir. We don't have anything to do with street kids.' He flashed her an apologetic look over his shoulder and she smiled briefly to let him know it was okay. She knew he had to do this, just as he knew that she had to do this.

The guard snorted. 'So what are you doing here, then?'

'Nothing,' replied Cyara. 'Just walking around.'

'Your papers are fine,' the other guard said to Lori and Hamold. 'You may proceed towards Munchkinland. Have a safe journey.'

Hamold tapped his borrowed hat. 'Thank you, sir.' He and Lori then went through the gates, out of the City for the first time in months, and they left Cyara behind.

The guard waved his hands at her. 'Now, shoo! Go find yourself a job or something.'

She complied and left, wandering through the City until the sun went down, then settling in a deserted barn for the night.

She started when she heard something. 'Who's there?' a harsh voice whispered, and she turned, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the dim light. She hesitated, then settled for, 'I'm Cyara.'

The voice laughed softly. 'That doesn't really tell me all that much. Are you human?'

Was this an Animal? Or just the opposite – someone _looking _for Animals, to arrest them? Either way, the truth would have to do – they would find that out eventually, anyway. 'I'm human.'

A soft hiss told her that this was, indeed, an Animal. 'I won't hurt you. I've got nothing against Animals. Quite frankly, I like having company for the night,' she conceded, and there was another soft laugh. 'Fine, then.' Two phosphorescent orange eyes opened and Cyara had to stop herself from shrieking with surprise. Another laugh. 'I didn't mean to scare you, little girl.' The owner of the voice shuffled into the beam of moonlight that fell inside the barn and Cyara could see that it was an Owl. 'I am Rolin,' he introduced himself. 'It is a pleasure to finally meet a human that doesn't want to kill me as soon as it lays eyes on me.'

She felt a pang at that. 'I'm sorry,' she said softly. 'It's horrible, what's happening to the Animals.'

'It is indeed,' Rolin agreed, 'but I believe that things will get better soon.'

Cyara thought of her parents, hopefully now on their way back to the Vinkus, and nodded. 'I hope so.' She looked at the Owl curiously. 'Do you live here?'

'I do indeed,' he confirmed. 'This barn is deserted, and therefore safe for me to stay. The only places safe for Animals in the City these days are deserted places.' He sighed miserably. 'Before, we were much more hopeful. There were humans standing up for us to the Wizard… no matter the consequences. Admirable humans. Unfortunately, there aren't many of them left, if at all. Most of them are in hiding now, in fear for their own lives… others have been arrested.' He shook his head. 'It's a cruel world.'

Cyara didn't say anything. She didn't really have to.

'So what are you doing here, little girl?' the Owl then asked her. 'You don't seem old enough to wander the streets on your own yet.'

'I'm seventeen,' she said defensively, and he laughed hoarsely. 'Barely outgrown your childhood, then. You can't fool me, little girl. Why are you here?'

'Because I have nowhere else to go,' she said softly, and he didn't ask for more. He adjusted his wings, making his feathers rustle in the silent night air. 'Like I said, it's a cruel world. I will be honoured to have your company for the night, Miss Cyara, although I do hope you won't mind me sleeping in the hole I made in the ceiling. I prefer higher places.'

'Of course not,' she agreed, settling down for the night herself. 'Goodnight, Master Rolin.'

'Goodnight, little girl.'

* * *

When Fiyero opened his eyes again, Elphaba was hovering over him, her eyes dark with concern. 'Fiyero?'

'Hmpf,' he groaned, sitting up and bringing one hand to his head. 'Did it work?' was the first thing he then asked.

She shook her head sadly. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's not your fault, Fae.' He closed his eyes to try and stop the spinning of his head. 'So what _did _happen?'

'Nothing, really,' she said. 'You fell unconscious – you scared me to death, you know that? You were only gone for a few minutes, but it felt like hours.'

He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. 'Well, I'm fine.'

'But not human.'

He pulled her on the floor with him and wrapped his arms around her. 'You'll figure it out, Fae. And even if you don't, I don't care. All that matters is that you're alive, I'm alive, and we're together. Okay?'

'Okay,' she said in a small voice, and he kissed the top of her head. 'Then would you now _please _go to bed?'

She did, and she tried to sleep, too, but her years on the run had made it difficult for her to fully relax; she shot up at every sound she heard, whether it was the howling of the wind or the sound of a bird. And that was even beside the nightmares that had been plaguing her ever since she had watched Fiyero being dragged away by the Gale Force. She could tell that Fiyero was worried about her, but she assured him there was no reason to be; she had gotten used to getting no more than a few hours' sleep a night and she felt perfectly fine.

So in the morning, she went back to the tower room and sat down on the floor again with the parchment on which she had scribbled her notes and with the Grimmerie. Fiyero sat himself down on a chair and watched her as she matched the pieces together, thus creating her own spell that she hoped would be able to bring Fiyero back into his human form – _without _his injuries.

'Okay,' she said finally. 'I think this is it.' She rose to her feet, grimacing slightly as she felt the ache in her back – she had been sitting hunched over the Grimmerie for hours. She absent-mindedly rubbed the small of her back with one hand as she studied the words on the parchment. 'It's a combination of different spells,' she explained to Fiyero. 'It uses the original spell as a basis, but it's written so that it's supposed to have the reverse effect. I've woven in a powerful healing spell I created myself from small bits of other spells, which is supposed to prevent you from going back to your tortured state.' She hesitated. 'I'm not sure how strong that one is, though… I don't know if it will heal you completely, but this was as strong as I could get it. It's a risk, but I have written a counter spell as well, just to be on the safe side.'

He nodded. 'I trust you.'

'Don't say that.' She ran her fingers through her long black hair. 'I'm not sure I should do this. I mean, it's risky, and although I'm quite certain that it won't kill you, I don't know what else could go wrong… _you _may trust me,' she admitted, 'but I don't think I trust myself.'

He got up from the chair and walked over to her, taking her hands in his. 'Do it, Fae,' he said softly. He wanted to be human again. He had meant what he said earlier – all that mattered was that they were alive and together, and if she couldn't change him back, he wouldn't blame her. But if the possibility was there, he did want to be human again – if only because that we, he would be able to feel _her _again, to kiss her and touch her and actually _feel _her. And he had to admit he kind of missed food and sleep, too.

And perhaps the most important reason: he saw the guilt in her eyes, every time she looked at him, and he knew that would never go away completely unless she managed to change him back, no matter what he said. And he wanted it to go away. He didn't want her to feel guilty, because she had nothing to feel guilty about.

'Just do it,' he said, squeezing both of her hands. 'You can do it. But Fae? I want you to remember that if anything _does _happen, I won't blame you – and I won't want you to blame yourself, either.'

She stared at him in horror. 'What do you think might happen? Oh, Oz, I shouldn't do this – what if I do something horrible to you?' she exclaimed, pulling at her hair again. 'I can't do this, Yero – I can't. I won't be able to live with myself if I do something to you.'

'Hey.' He rested his fingers under her chin and tilted her head, forcing her to look at him. 'Do it, Fae. Like I said, I trust you. Come on.' He picked up the parchment from where she had dropped it on the floor and pushed it into her hand. 'Read the spell. No, wait – let's go to the bedroom first. If I drop unconscious again, at least I'm going to do it on something soft this time,' he joked in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Elphaba was way too anxious. She nodded, however, and followed him back to the room they'd been sleeping in the night before. He turned around to face her. 'Fae?'

She hesitated. Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, hard and desperate, until she was breathless. She then took the parchment and started reading, while he quickly scrambled over to the bed and sat on it cross-legged, watching her expectantly. '_Nahmen Tum Ah Jeden Siron Nah, Ante Laden Nahmen Akele Eh Lah. __Jeden Nah Tum Eleka Ah!_'

* * *

**Already working on the next chapter - rush of inspiration. Probably post it tomorrow :).**


	8. Chapter 8 Healing

**AN: Yeah... I love human Fiyero too. That's why I changed him back asap ^_^.**

* * *

Elphaba watched anxiously as a green glow surrounded the Vinkun Prince again, much brighter this time and much stronger, lifting him up in the air and brightening until she couldn't see him anymore and she had to shield her eyes. It descended then, lowering towards the bed, as it slowly died down until it had faded completely. Fiyero was on the bed, lying on his stomach with his hair covering his face, and Elphaba carefully approached him. 'Yero?'

He stirred a little and she shifted closer, gently stroking his hair away from his face. 'Yero? Are you-' She stared at him, only now getting a good look at his face, and her breath caught in her throat. 'It worked! Yero, it worked! You're human again!'

'I am?' he croaked, moving, trying to push himself up, but collapsing back on the bed immediately after. Her throat clenched shut. 'Yero? What's wrong?'

He gasped, flashes of pain crossing his face. 'Think that healing spell… wasn't strong enough,' he choked out. He waved one hand weakly in the air. 'Help me up.'

She did, gingerly moving behind him and pulling him up, allowing him to lean his back against her. She brushed some more hair away from his forehead and gasped as she found her fingers sticky with blood. 'Yero…'

'It's fine,' he whispered. 'It's not that bad.' But when she carefully laid his head down and moved to his side to examine him, she drew in her breath with a sharp hiss and her eyes filled with tears. 'Oh, Yero… I'm so sorry…'

He lifted his arm – the one that didn't look as if it was broken in several places – and touched her cheek. 'Don't, Fae,' he said, trying not to sound as pained as he felt, but not exactly succeeding. 'I'll be fine. I've been through worse.'

That had been the wrong thing to say. Realisation dawned on her and her eyes widened. 'Fiyero…' she whispered in a pained voice. 'If you're like _this _with a healing spell on your side…' She choked on the words, but forced herself to say them anyway. 'What was it like when you were actually beaten, back then?' Her voice was almost inaudible as she ended the question, not even sure she wanted to know the answer.

He looked her straight in the eyes and decided that he couldn't lie to her any longer. 'It was hell.'

She looked away, chewing her lower lip until she tasted blood.

He used his good hand to cup her face and make her look back at him. 'Please… please don't look at me like that,' he whispered. 'Don't feel guilty, you have nothing to feel guilty about… Back then, you saved me, Fae, and just now, you did it again… you changed me back. I knew you could do it.'

She shook her head frantically. 'But-'

'I can _feel _you, Fae,' he emphasised, tracing her smooth skin with his finger, trailing it along her cheekbones and down to her lips. 'I can finally feel you again. And you have no idea…' He swallowed. 'No idea how much I've missed that.'

She smiled through her tears, feeling just a little relieved. Despite everything, she _had _managed to change him back, and she could see in his eyes how happy he was to have human senses again.

He moved his hand to her neck to pull her in for a kiss, softly at first, carefully brushing her lips with his, pulling away every now and then to just look at her. She smiled, and he pressed his lips against hers again, firmer this time, drawing her closer and deepening the kiss, relishing in the feeling of it. Oz, he had missed this. Just to kiss her again, to _feel _her again, was worth everything he had been through and more. He didn't even care about his injuries in that moment, he just closed his eyes and concentrated on feeling her. Just feeling.

She melted into the kiss and he groaned softly as she gingerly slipped her arms around his neck. He pulled her even closer, kissing her senseless until they had to break apart to breathe. He rested his forehead against hers, both of them panting slightly. 'I can feel you,' he whispered again in wonder, still not quite believing it, and she smiled in return. 'I love you, Yero.'

He kissed her again, softly and briefly this time. 'I love you, too.' Then he pulled back a little and her attention was drawn back to his injuries. She lifted one hand to touch his forehead, then hesitated. 'You're bleeding.'

In an instant, he was back in the clearing with her and the Lion Cub. 'I am?' he asked teasingly. 'Perhaps you scratched me, or something.' She shot him a look and he chuckled softly, then gasped as pain jolted through his ribs. She hovered over him, a concerned look on her face. 'I'm going to take care of you,' she promised and she started moving immediately. She started with his head, carefully brushing the hair away from his face to take a good look at his bleeding head wound. 'You have no idea how glad I am right now that you're already in the bed and not in that tower room on the floor. I would never have managed to get you down here by myself.'

He smirked faintly at her. 'So am I.'

She used whatever means she had at hand. She started with carefully cleaning his minor wounds – a bleeding head wound on his forehead and a few shallow cuts and whiplashes that were covering his shoulders and his upper left arm. She then moved on to splinting his right arm, which seemed to be broken in several places, and his right lower leg; after that, she carefully bandaged his ribs, which were severely bruised, if not broken. She then stitched up the deep gash in his left leg and bandaged that, as well.

'Where did you even learn how to do all that?' he asked in amazement as he watched her work swiftly and efficiently, using anything she could find in the castle – small pieces of wood for splints, old sheets she ripped to pieces for bandages. She smiled at him. 'Resistance.'

He felt a little stupid. 'Of course. Did you have much need for medical skills there?'

Her face darkened a little. 'Unfortunately, yes,' she said quietly, moving to soak a cloth in a basin filled with water. 'We all learned how to perform first aid. Most of the Resistance members I treated were Animals, naturally, but I've taken care of a few human members, too. It's come in handy at times – like when I met the Gale Force two years ago and I had to stitch up my own leg.' She shook her head at the memory, and he gaped at her. 'You stitched up your own _leg_?!'

'Splinted it, too,' she said matter-of-factly as she cleaned another one of his wounds. 'The result of a rather painful encounter with a sword. Cut into my leg, the impact broke the bone.' She lifted her skirt a little so that he could see the long, thin scar on her lower leg. 'I think I've done a decent job closing it up, if I may say so myself.'

He was still staring at her. The Gale Force… _his _men had done that to her. Why hadn't he been there? Two years ago – he hadn't even been Captain then, he recalled. 'How in Oz did you ever get away?'

'Broom,' came her simple reply. She wrapped a final piece of cloth around his leg and secured the bandage with a complicated knot. 'I think that was it.' She looked at him. 'Are you okay? I mean, I know you're in pain…' She swallowed. 'But, I mean, nothing else? Internal bleeding? Fever? Anything?'

He leaned towards her a little and rested his head on her shoulder. 'I'm fine, Fae. Stop worrying.'

'Never,' she told him, and he chuckled softly. 'Don't make me laugh – it makes my ribs hurt.'

'It wasn't meant to be funny.' She was smiling, however, and he chuckled again. She wrapped her arms around him, stroking his hair. 'Go to sleep now, okay? You'll feel better once you've had a little rest.'

He grinned at her. 'I haven't slept in _weeks_ – quite literally. Never thought I'd miss it this much.' He gingerly adjusted his position and Elphaba helped him get the pillow under his head, then pulled the blanket over him. His hand sought hers and brought it to his lips. 'You'll stay with me, won't you?'

'Of course,' she replied, as if that was the stupidest question she'd ever heard. She nestled herself in the bed beside him. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

* * *

Cyara woke feeling icy cold from head to toe.

She peeked open one eye. The sun was already up and it had driven away the darkness of the night, thin beams of sunlight penetrating the cracks and crevices of the wooden barn. She sat up, trying to stop her teeth from chattering, and looked around. Her eye fell on Rolin, who was curled up into himself in a niche high up in the wall. She could see now that he was a Church Owl; his feathers were beautiful, but also marred and damaged, as she noticed now. Her stomach constricted. What had he been through? Why was all of this happening? What had become of the once wonderful Oz?

Suddenly, Rolin turned his head – without moving any further; Cyara had read somewhere that owls could turn their head two hundred and seventy degrees, but it was rather creepy, to say the least, to actually watch it. Rolin chuckled as he saw her face. 'I can turn it further,' he offered with a straight face.

'No, thank you,' she said, shivering involuntarily, and the Owl laughed softly. Cyara tilted her head a little to the side and studied him. 'What happened to you?' she then asked softly.

He picked at his feathers. 'I was a teacher once,' he said. 'On a high school in Gillikin. My students respected me…' He blinked his orange eyes, recalling memories. 'Then the Animal Bans came, and I decided to leave before they could arrest me. Things got worse and worse, and I pretended to be a regular owl to prevent them from trying to silence or kill me. I've lived in forests for a while, but that wasn't exactly home for me; I'd been living among humans, in cities, for too long. Then I joined the Resistance and came to live here…' His voice trailed away. 'I've only been discovered once in the three years I've lived here – the Gale Force found me. They didn't know I was an Animal, not an animal, but they like to torture our less intelligent brothers and sisters as well. That's why my feathers are damaged.' He shifted them, as if he could feel the soldiers inflicting the injuries upon him again. 'I got away, however. The Resistance has meant a lot for me; if nothing else, it gave me the opportunity to _do _something.'

'I know a Resistance member myself,' said Cyara softly, thinking about Elphaba. The green girl had told her a few things about her work for the Resistance while they were in the dungeons together and Cyara had been deeply impressed.

The Owl smiled sadly. 'I knew many of them, but it is as I have told you before – they have laid low for the past months, in fear of being arrested, or already having been arrested – or worse…' He shook his head. 'I especially wish Miss Elphaba was still among us.'

Cyara was startled – she hadn't expected to hear a familiar name. 'Miss Elphaba?'

'Commonly known as the Wicked Witch of the West,' he explained. 'Only she wasn't wicked. She was trying to help us Animals. Many of us owe her our live – we owe her so many things.'

'Have you ever met her?' asked Cyara curiously. She had known that Elphaba had taken part in the Resistance, but she had never guessed how big a role Elphaba had played in it. Apparently, she'd been important. _Very _important. So important that nearly every Resistance member knew who she was.

The old Owl shook his head. 'I've never met her in person, although I would have loved to. There were lots of important Resistance members, of course; but Miss Elphaba always was the one that gave us hope. She motivated us, she was an example to us, a role model. She's different, too… and she'd defied the Wizard publicly and was helping us, even though it caused her to be hated throughout all of Oz.' He sighed. 'With her death, I fear the Resistance has suffered a great loss.'

_She's not dead. _It was on the tip of Cyara's tongue, but she didn't say it. She wasn't even sure it was true, and besides that, she didn't know if she could trust the Owl, no matter how nice and trustworthy he seemed. 'I was in the dungeons with her.'

Rolin's head shot up. 'Really?'

She nodded. 'I was arrested for stealing bread. She was arrested for – well, I don't think I have to explain why _she _was arrested. Anyway, we were down there together… I thought she was nice. Not wicked at all.' He face got a distant look. 'My parents escaped town yesterday. I was meant to come with them, but a guard recognised me from the dungeons… I had to stay behind in order for my parents to be able to leave.' She sighed. 'I just wish I had a place to stay – any place at all…'

'Well, you can stay here,' Rolin offered with a slight smile. 'I know it's not perfect, but it must be better than the dungeons.'

She laughed. 'That it is.' She thought about her parents and where they were now. Oz, she hoped they had escaped. If they had, they'd be on their way to the Vinkus now, back to their home castle, Adurin Iir… or would they go to one of their other castles? They had several, spread across the Vinkus – Ilfáen, their summer castle in the south; Kiamo Ko, which was rightfully Fiyero's, and Manila Selana, the castle that officially belonged to Cyara herself. Both of them already owned their own castles; when they would get older and move out, perhaps wanting to start a family, they'd move there. But Cyara decided that her parents would probably just have returned to Adurin Iir. All of the Vinkus must be in a state of commotion, with their royal family gone, but Cyara was sure her parents would restore the order and get everything ready for war in no time. She prayed silently for them, willing them to stay safe and succeed in finding allies against the Wizard.

Her thoughts then drifted towards Elphaba and Fiyero. If they were still alive, where would _they _have gone? Hidden in the forest? To some hidden Resistance base? She had no clue. She wished she could reach them somehow, however – if only to make sure that her brother and her new friend indeed were still alive.

She sighed. 'Do you believe things will ever get better?'

He looked at her with solemn orange eyes, and in that moment, he looked hundreds of years old – that's probably why people always said that Owls were wise. 'One day, they will.'

'But when will that day come?' She sounded like a whining five-year-old and she knew it, but she felt miserable. Somehow, it was like everything was falling apart and she didn't have control over anything anymore whatsoever.

Rolin chuckled softly and shook his head. 'Soon, little girl. Soon.'

She sighed, pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. 'I hope you're right.' She fell silent, then said, 'I'm hungry.'

The Owl looked at her, an amused expression on his face. 'Would you like me to go and fetch a nice fat mouse for you?'

'No, thank you.' She grimaced. 'I'm being childish, aren't I?'

'Everyone has the right to be childish every now and then, little girl.'

'And you calling me that certainly doesn't help,' she complained. 'First Elphaba, who keeps calling me 'kid' even though she's only a few years older than me, and now you keep calling me 'little girl'. As if I'm seven instead of seventeen.'

He chuckled. 'You are a little girl compared to me, Miss Cyara. Every young human is a little girl or boy to me.'

She grumbled, then buried her face in her hands. 'I just… I don't know what to do,' she confessed. 'I can't leave the City, but I can't do anything around here either… I just feel so useless.'

He smiled at her. 'Then go and make yourself useful.'

'How?' she asked. He frowned slightly, thinking, then his face brightened. 'You could join the Resistance. I can introduce you, if you want me to.'

She looked at him, her face alight with new hope and excitement. 'Really?'

He nodded. 'I'll take you to our leader here in the City tonight.'

* * *

'Yero?' He woke because someone was shaking him – hard. 'Yero? Come on, wake up!'

He groaned and forced open his eyes. Elphaba was hovering over him, fear and anxiety clear in her eyes. 'Fae? What-'

'You didn't wake up,' she said in a small, quivering voice that was very unlike her. 'I've been trying to wake you for at least ten minutes, but you didn't wake up.'

He pushed himself up, ignoring the pain, and pulled her in with his good arm. He could see how scared she had been for him and he felt guilty – she was having a hard enough time already. 'I'm sorry, Fae.'

She sniffled, trying desperately not to cry. 'No, I'm sorry. I'm a bit paranoid, I suppose.'

'You have every reason to be,' he countered, and she sighed. 'Yeah… I suppose so.' Suddenly, she sat up. 'Did you hear that?'

He strained his ears, then shook his head. 'I didn't hear anything.'

'I did,' she insisted. 'I'm sure of it.' She leapt out of the bed. 'Wait here. I'm going to take a look.'

'No, Fae-'

But she was already gone.

He grumbled and let his head fall back on the pillow. She returned, however, a few minutes later, a puzzled expression on her face. 'I can't find anything,' she said. 'Still, I could have sworn…' She shook her head. 'Like I said – paranoid. I suppose that's it. Come on, let me take a look at your wounds again.'

He let her, and when he did, he noticed something. 'Do they look better? My injuries?'

Elphaba was just staring at his arm, which seemed to be much less… _broken _now. 'Yes… Yes, as a matter of fact, they do.'

'The pain is gone,' he said in amazement. 'Well, not 'gone' gone, but… less bad. A lot less bad. What happened? Did you magically heal me while I was asleep?' He was half joking, but she gave him a sheepish look. 'Um… I might have tried a tiny little spell.'

'Seriously?' He glowered at her. 'Weren't you supposed to be _sleeping_?'

'Like I said, I can function without much sleep,' she said dismissively, waving one hand in the air. 'I just went over the Grimmerie again and suddenly, there it was – a healing spell. It wasn't perfect, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try.'

'And it definitely didn't hurt,' admitted Fiyero, gingerly moving his arms and legs. 'I feel as if I can take on the entire Gale Force myself.'

'Don't even think about it,' she said icily. 'Here, let me take a look at you – you need clean bandages and I want to check to what extent the spell worked, exactly.'

She tended to his injuries; the gash in his leg was still there, but it was shallower and clearly healing, and she carefully cleaned it once more and changed the bandage. The bone in his right leg seemed to be magically healed, so that she could remove the splint; his arm also looked better, but she kept it splinted just in case, because it had been more severe than the break in his leg. His ribs still hurt, but much less than before; and his shallow cuts and whiplashes were almost gone.

'Looking good, Master Tiggular,' she said as she put the improvised medical supplies away. 'You'll be able to get out of bed soon.'

He pouted. 'Now?'

She shook her head. 'I don't want to take the risk, Yero. We're relatively safe here, and I think you should take your time to heal.'

He sighed and grumbled, 'Fine, then.'

She smiled at him and was about to say something when suddenly, a big, dark, hairy thing launched itself into the room. Fiyero yelped and Elphaba shrieked, but was on her feet instantly, green sparks flying around her hands as she started muttering a spell under her breath, but she cut herself off when she realised who their intruder was. 'Chistery?'

'S-s-sorry, M-Miss,' the Monkey stammered, and she lowered her hands and exhaled slowly. 'Sweet _Oz, _Chistery, you scared the living daylights out of me.'

'Um… excuse me?' Fiyero raised his hand, as if he were in class. He pointed towards Chistery. 'Flying Monkey? Aren't those the Wizard's spies?'

'_Yes_,' said Elphaba defensively. 'But _I _created them. And several of them, including Chistery here, chose _my _side instead of the Wizard's after I set them free. They helped me in the brief period I was here, after… you know.' She was still reluctant to name what had actually happened to him.

'After I was tortured,' he said bluntly.

She glared at him. 'Yes. That. But _before _I turned myself in.'

Now it was his turn to cringe.

Elphaba turned to face Chistery. 'Are you and the others okay?'

He nodded and Fiyero stared at him, then at Elphaba, then back at the Monkey. 'Whoa. Wait a clock-tick.' He shook his head. 'I must have heard it wrong - did you just say you _created _them?'

She looked at him pointedly, one eyebrow arched. 'Did Glinda never tell you what happened right before I was declared a Wicked Witch?'

'She did…' Fiyero tried to recall Glinda's words. 'Sort of. She mentioned the Grimmerie, and she said that the Wizard wanted you to cast a spell from it, but she didn't specify – just said that the Wizard then revealed that he was behind the abuse of the Animals and that you ran off, tried to convince Glinda to come with you, didn't succeed, and took off on your magically enchanted broom.'

She smiled wryly. 'Well, I suppose that's one way to summarise what happened. Well…' She gestured towards Chistery. 'Ever seen flying Monkeys before?'

He shook his head.

'Thought so. That's because they don't exist in nature. That spell I cast from the Grimmerie? That was the one that gave Chistery and the other Monkeys their wings. What you're witnessing here is the first and most convincing evidence of my wickedness,' she said with a mock bow.

Chistery tugged at her dress. 'Miss… n-not… wicked.'

She smiled at him – a more genuinely smile this time. 'Why, thank you, Chistery. But the truth is still that I'm the one who did this to you. Not intentionally, but I did it all the same.'

'Not wicked,' the Monkey insisted, and Fiyero grinned at him. 'There, Fae, now you can finally hear someone else say it.'

She sniffed. 'I think you two will get along just fine.'

Chistery tugged at her sleeve again. 'We fly. W-we find… King. And Q-Queen.'

'You found a King and a Queen?' asked Elphaba, furrowing her brow, puzzled. 'What do you mean?'

But Fiyero's eyes had lit up. 'My parents!'

Chistery nodded and Elphaba blinked. 'You found Fiyero's parents?'

'Were t-tr-trapped in C-City,' the Monkey tried to explain and Elphaba frowned. 'They were trapped in the City. Are they still?'

Chistery shook his head. 'On w-way… here.'

She nodded. 'I see.'

'We should tell them,' Fiyero said, struggling to get up, but not in the least succeeding. 'They have to know I'm still alive!'

Elphaba gently pushed him back down. 'Stay put. Yero, I'm not sure that's a good idea. I don't think it's safe for _anyone _to know right now. Not to mention the fact that they'd want to know what happened, and you can't very well tell them you left them and almost died because you wanted to make out with the Wicked Witch of the West, now can you?'

He scowled at her and she cackled. 'No, seriously. You can't tell them the real reason. They'll never accept me.'

'Says who?'

'Say I,' she said. 'And I'm always right. I'm the one with the brains, remember?'

He stuck out his tongue. 'I'm serious, Elphaba. I know them, and I know they will accept you once I explain everything to them. Trust me.'

'I have trust issues.'

He glared at her and she smirked at him before giving in. 'Fine, then. But the moment they start shouting 'Witch!', I'm out of there. With or without you,' she threatened.

He looked at her in mild amusement. 'We both know you'd never leave without me.'

She huffed. 'Fine, then. I'll drag you out of there, whether you like it or not. Better?' She turned around when she heard something else. 'Chistery? Are your friends out there?'

The Monkey nodded and just then, another Monkey flew in, looking panicked. 'M-Miss!'

'What is it?' she asked the Monkey, and it waved its arms in the air frantically. 'G-Gale Fo… Force!'

Fiyero sat up and Elphaba's face immediately grew serious as she sprang into action. 'Stay here, Chistery,' she ordered the Monkey. 'Keep an eye on Fiyero. You,' she said to the other Monkey, 'show me where they are.'

'You are _not _going out there!' Fiyero started to protest, but by then, she had already grabbed her broom and jumped down the balcony. He sighed in exasperation and caught Chistery grinning at him. 'What? She does that to you, too?'

The Monkey nodded, still grinning. 'Miss never l-listens.'

'I'm starting to see that,' grumbled Fiyero, crossing his arms in front of his chest. When Elphaba returned a few minutes later, he pushed himself up again. The frown and the dark expression on her pale face worried him. 'Fae?'

'They're coming,' she said. 'I don't know how they know we're here, but I'm sure they do know. They're heading right this way and they don't look like they're going to want to have a nice visit.' She looked worried. 'We have to get out of here.'

Fiyero pushed the blankets back and swung his legs out of the bed. 'Let's go, then.' The moment he rose to his feet, however, he swayed, and Elphaba pushed him gently back onto the bed. 'Stay there.' She started pacing up and down the room. 'I don't believe this. Why is this always happening? Is it too much to ask for just a few days of peace and quiet? I guess so, because the only peace and quiet I've gotten so far is when I was in the Oz-forsaken _dungeons_!' She stopped dead in her tracks and took a deep breath. 'Okay. We need the broom. Clearly, you're not capable of walking, and we have to go _now_. They might spot us, but I'm just going to have to take the long route to wherever it is that we're going now.' She took her broom and went over to the bed to help Fiyero up. She swung one leg over the broomstick and Fiyero did the same. 'Hold on tight,' she said over her shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Then she took off, headed for the balcony and flew out the window, into the sky. There were a few clouds there, but not enough to hide them; Fiyero could hear the frantic screaming of the Gale Force from all the way up in the air. There wasn't much they could do, however – unless the Wizard's soldiers had suddenly grown wings. The thought made Fiyero grin and he watched them disappear as he and Elphaba flew off towards the south.


	9. Chapter 9 Disaster

**AN: Thaaaaank you for reviewing! Virtual cake and cookies for all of you - because you make me happy! :)**

**BlueD: that made me laugh sooooo hard. I can totally picture you running around the house with a flying monkey, singing Defying Gravity ^_^. And yes, of course you can start the Morrible hunters. I'll join in.**

**Failey: that ending is wonderful. Really, it is. Unfortunately, it's not what's going to happen. I'm afraid your psychic instincts are failing you, my young Padawan (sorry, couldn't resist that one :3). **

**Last but not least: you'll probably all hate me again after this chapter. I'm looking forward to your murderous (and extremely funny) reviews. Muahahahaha.**

* * *

'You wanted to see me, Madame?' asked Glinda as she entered the Throne Room.

Morrible turned around with a snake-like smile. 'Yes, Glinda dear, I did. I have a few matters to discuss with you. Sit down, please, dearie.'

Glinda took a seat at the single table in the room and Morrible sat down across from her. 'As you know,' she began, 'we have recently executed the Wicked Witch of the West.'

Glinda's stomach turned at that sentence, but she forced herself to keep smiling. 'Yes, I know.'

'Some of us, however, believe that she's not really dead.'

The blonde's heartbeat sped up, though she wasn't sure why: because Morrible suspecting it increased the probability of it being true, of Elphaba still being alive; or because Morrible suspecting it meant, well, that _Morrible suspected _it. Which meant if it were up to the old woman, Elphaba wouldn't be alive for much longer. 'But Madame, that's impossible! We saw her burn!' protested the blonde.

Morrible folded her hands together. 'Many witnesses have seen a mysterious cloaked figure suddenly appear on the square during the execution, then leaving the City along with the Scarecrow that accompanied the little Dorothy girl. I found that suspicious, so I delved into it; in the ashes at the stake, we found a piece of black cloth, but nothing else.'

'She was burned, Madame,' Glinda reminded her, heart pounding. 'Isn't that supposed to be the case? That nothing is left of her?'

'Perhaps,' Morrible said, tapping her cheek. 'We're not sure what it all means yet, but I'm looking into it. I've sent the Gale Force out to track the duo down and we'll know soon enough if our dear Elphaba is still alive or not. But we hope she's not, don't we, Glinda dear?' Morrible's eyes were ice cold as they pierced into Glinda's own.

Glinda knew she had to prove herself once more, so she sniffed quite convincingly. 'I hope she's not, Madame, but if she is, it will be my pleasure to have her tortured and killed all over again,' she declared. Morrible seemed to buy it, because her face twisted into a smile and she leaned back in her chair. 'Good. Now, dearie, there's something else I'd like to talk to you about. The Dorothy girl – she's still in Oz, isn't she?'

'She is,' Glinda confirmed. 'She and her companions left the City, but they're still in Oz.'

'Do you think you can get the girl back home?' asked Morrible. 'I fear the girl might mean trouble, and the sooner she gets back to wherever it is she's from, the better. We both know the Wizard can't help her, and my specialty is weather magic, not transportation spells.'

_Well, wasn't it weather magic that got her here in the first place, Madame? And killed Nessarose in the process? _Glinda didn't voice her thoughts, however, but simply nodded. 'I'll see what I can do. Though that would be easier if the girl was to stay in the Palace with us, Madame.'

'I see,' said Morrible. 'I'll have the Gale Force bring her here. Then one more thing, dearie. The Wizard still hasn't returned to the Emerald City.'

That surprised Glinda. 'He hasn't? I thought he said he'd only be away for a few weeks?'

Morrible nodded earnestly. 'It's been nearly a month now, and there's no sign of his return. I've sent out search patrols, but they haven't found him yet. I have no idea where he went and when – if ever – he'll be back. Until we know more, I am going to take care of Oz myself.'

_Oh, dear. That's not good. _'Do you need any help, Madame?'

Morrible gave her a cold smile. 'No, thank you, dearie. I've got it all under control. If I need your help, I'll ask.' Her eyes bore into Glinda's. 'That's it, Glinda dear. If anything else comes up, I'll let you know.' It was clearly a dismissal, and Glinda gave the awful fish-woman a radiating smile before rising from her seat and making her way towards the door. 'Good day to you, Madame.' With that, she left, but she kept thinking about the conversation. Morrible in charge… that could never end well.

She took a deep breath. _Oz, I hope Fiyero's parents hurry and think of something._

* * *

The sun was already starting to set by the time Elphaba steered the broom down, towards a small clearing in a forest near the Great Kells.

She noticed that Fiyero's weight had slowly grown heavier against her back, and she gently nudged him with her elbow. 'Yero? Don't fall asleep – you're going to fall off.'

'I'm not sleeping,' he murmured, his cheek pressed against her back and his eyes closed. She smiled and half-turned around to kiss his cheek. 'Hold on tight. I'm going to land now – as soon as we're on the ground, you can sleep, okay?' She felt his grip tighten a little and she started descending again, carefully manoeuvring the broom over the tree tops and down into the clearing, where it stopped. She helped Fiyero off and spread her cloak on the floor, gently urging him to lie down on it. 'Go to sleep, okay? I'll keep watch, just in case, though I don't think it'll be necessary. We've outrun them – they probably don't even know which way we went.'

He didn't question how she knew that; after all, she was the one with lots of experience in the field of escaping and hiding – not him. Instead, he just lay down and closed his eyes, and drifted off within clock-ticks.

Elphaba watched him as he slept, a small smile gracing her lips. She still couldn't quite believe that he was really alive, and that he was here… with her. That they were really together again.

_Only how long will it last? _she wondered. _How long before yet another disaster kicks in and we'll be separated again? _She knew they couldn't go on like this forever. Someday, someone was bound to find them and turn them in. Perhaps they could leave Oz, but where would they go? She sighed, pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees, watching the sun go down in the western sky.

_So if you care to find me, look to the western sky…_

It had been three years since that day. Somehow, it felt like it only happened yesterday, and at the same time, it seemed like a lifetime ago. Three years… three years since she'd last seen Fiyero, back at Shiz. She looked to her side again, where he was sleeping soundly. Never in her wildest dreamings could she have imagined this – him lying by her side, wanting her, loving her, needing her. She sighed again as she thought of Glinda and the hurt she had caused her blonde friend. She never meant to, she never wanted to… but somehow it had happened anyway. Like always. She never meant to hurt anyone, always only wanted to help, but things never turned out the way she wanted them to, and someone always got hurt in the process.

She was shaken from her daydreams by a sound in the distance. She sat up, listening intently, but didn't hear anything else. She still didn't trust it, however, so she got up quietly and looked around vigilantly.

There it was again – a rustling of leaves. She turned around, scanning her environment. It could be an innocent animal, or just the wind… but she had learned during her years on the run that she couldn't dismiss anything like this lightly. She'd done that in the beginning and that had earned her several encounters with murderous Ozians or with the Gale Force – including the one where she had broken her leg.

So she stayed vigilant, gingerly moving around the small clearing without making a sound, trying to hear again whatever it was she had heard before. She eventually located the sound as being around twenty to thirty metres into the forest to the north of the clearing and glanced at the sleeping Fiyero once more before silently making her way into the forest, determined to find the source of the noise.

When Fiyero woke, not long after that, and didn't find Elphaba there, he immediately shot up. He resisted the urge to call out for her; if anyone was within hearing distance, he would give himself away immediately. _Perhaps she's gone off to find us some food,_ he told himself. _Or she needed some time alone and went for a walk. Or… _He was out of ideas. He knew perfectly well that she would never leave him here unless there was something serious – or potentially serious - going on.

He decided to just stay put and for her to return, and only to start worrying when she wouldn't be back within the next few minutes or so. So he just sat there, looking around, until a sudden noise startled him. He turned around and saw a person standing there, and he involuntarily jumped and yelped with surprise. The girl shrieked and jumped back, clutching her dog against her chest.

Fiyero could hear leaves rustling and footsteps thumping and he knew Elphaba had heard them and was on her way – and sure enough, she appeared from between the trees within clock-ticks, with twigs in her hair and looking bewildered. She stopped dead in her tracks, however, when she saw the girl standing there. '_That_'s what you're screaming about? Oz, Yero, I thought the Gale Force found you!' she yelled at him. 'You scared me to death!'

He looked sheepish. 'I'm sorry, Fae. She took me by surprise.'

Dorothy blinked and looked at the two of them. 'Oh my,' she said, not really knowing what else to say.

'Dorothy, it's just me,' said Fiyero in what he hoped was a reassuring tone of voice. The annoying dog – Toto – wriggled itself free from the girl's arms and jumped onto the ground, running towards Fiyero and dashing around his legs, barking all the while. Dorothy seemed wary. 'He seems to know you.'

'I'm the Scarecrow,' Fiyero explained. 'Only I'm human again.'

Dorothy eyed him up and down. 'I don't believe you,' she declared. 'Prove it.'

He was confused. 'How?'

She looked at him. 'Sing the song we sang on the Yellow Brick Road.'

'You sang a song on the Yellow Brick Road?' he heard Elphaba mutter behind him in what definitely was an amused voice. 'My, I'm so sorry I missed that.'

He glared at her over his shoulder before looking back at Dorothy, sighing heavily and singing reluctantly, 'Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road…'

Dorothy burst out in a fit of giggles and Elphaba quirked an eyebrow at him, obviously trying – and horribly failing – to stifle her laughter. He looked at her and said in a mock miserable tone of voice, 'You have _no _idea what I went through to get to the Emerald City.'

She smirked at him. 'I'm sure you secretly enjoyed the singing. Did you dance, too?'

His sheepish silence was enough of an answer for her and she chuckled. Fiyero just sighed and looked back at Dorothy. 'Now do you believe me?'

'I kind of believed you before,' she confessed, still giggling a little. 'I just wanted to hear you sing the song again.'

Elphaba chuckled again. 'I think I could actually like this girl.'

'How did you become human again?' asked Dorothy curiously. Fiyero grinned at her and put his arm around Elphaba's shoulders. 'I told you she was a witch, didn't I?'

Dorothy only now really studied the green woman behind Fiyero and her eyes widened. 'Oh, my,' she breathed. 'The Wicked Witch of the West…' She swallowed, then looked at Fiyero. 'Not really wicked, right?'

'Not really wicked,' Fiyero confirmed. 'See for yourself. She won't bite.'

'I might,' said Elphaba seriously, and Dorothy looked at her hesitantly. Fiyero just rolled his eyes. 'Fae…'

'This is the point where I apologise, isn't it?' she asked him reluctantly and he looked at her in amusement and mild exasperation. 'Yes, Fae. It is.'

She grumbled. 'I just hate being wrong about something.'

'I know,' he said. 'You're too stubborn to admit that you were wrong, but I'm going to make you do it anyway. Go ahead.'

She glared at him before taking a deep breath, then a step forward. 'Okay then. I'm sorry I tried to kill you. I was just upset about my sister's death and I didn't mean it.'

'Oh, I understand!' exclaimed Dorothy. 'I'm sorry, too, for killing your sister!'

'It wasn't your fault,' Elphaba assured her. 'You couldn't control the house – or the weather.' _Someone else did. _'So, um… you and Fiyero travelled together?'

'Is that his real name? Fiyero?' Dorothy looked at him thoughtfully. 'It suits you.'

'Thanks… I guess.' Fiyero leaned down to pet the still barking dog and Elphaba crouched down next to it. It immediately jumped into her arms and started to lick her face, and she actually started smiling. 'Well, that's a nice greeting. I was everyone's first reaction to me was this enthusiastic.' She laughed when the dog licked her nose and Fiyero smiled as he watched them together. He hadn't seen her around animals – or Animals – before, but he knew she loved them; she seemed like a young girl again, the young girl she really still was, while she was playing with the small black dog. Fiyero met Dorothy's eyes over Elphaba's head and they exchanged a smile. 'So… what did you do with the Lion and Boq?' asked Fiyero.

Dorothy looked puzzled for a moment. 'Who?'

'Oh…' Fiyero realised his mistake. 'The Tinman.'

Elphaba slowly rose and stared at him. 'The Tinman you travelled with is _Boq_?'

'How many other Tinmen are there?' he defended himself, but she narrowed her eyes at him. He ignored her, however, and looked at Dorothy questioningly.

She replied, 'They were both very confused after we got you into the City. The Lion believed you in the end, however – that you and Elphaba just tried to rescue him from a horrible fate. Only the Tinman wasn't convinced so easily. I think he still wants her dead.'

'Nothing new there,' Elphaba muttered under her breath, and Fiyero shot her a look. 'Where are they now, Dorothy?'

She made a vague gesture. 'Around here somewhere. I left them when I said I was going for a walk, you know, to clear my head… perhaps think of a way to get home…' She sighed sadly. 'I wish I knew how to get home…'

Elphaba tilted her head slightly to the side, pursing her lips the way she usually did when she was thinking about something. 'Give me a moment,' she said and kneeled down onto the grass, pulling the Grimmerie from her bag and starting to flip through the pages.

'What's she doing?' Dorothy whispered to Fiyero and he leaned towards her to whisper back, 'That's her magic spell book.'

'Really?' Dorothy looked at the book with wide eyes. 'Oh my.'

'It's very powerful,' Fiyero told her quietly. 'I think she's trying to find a way to get you home.'

Dorothy's eyes lit up. 'Really? She can do that?'

'She _could_, if you two would just be quiet for a moment,' Elphaba interrupted them in a slightly exasperated voice. They both looked at her sheepishly. 'Sorry.'

She smirked at them, then returned to her spell book. 'I think I found it,' she said. 'Do you want me to use it now?'

Dorothy hesitated, then shook her head. 'I'd really like to say goodbye to Lion and Tinman first,' she said softly, and Elphaba nodded. 'Sure. Go and find them – we'll be waiting here.'

The girl nodded and ran off, and Fiyero moved behind the dark-haired witch, gently rubbing her tense shoulders. 'You really think you can get her back home?'

'Probably. This spell should work – if she manages to think of her home really, really hard.' She sighed. 'I wish everything was that easy. Think about what you want, cast a spell and _voilà_.'

He smiled. 'I'm glad not everything is like that. If you never have to work for what you want, you don't appreciate it nearly as much.'

'Well, _you _would know,' she said, smirking at him, before getting up and dusting off her skirt, sending stems of grass flying off of it. 'So explain something to me. The Lion and the Tinman.'

He sighed. 'The Tinman is Boq. He joined us because he thought the Wizard would send us on a mission to kill you, as some sort of payment, before he'd get Dorothy home. Unfortunately for him, the Wizard wasn't there and you were already captured.'

'Boq joined you just because he wanted to kill me?' she repeated, sounding impressed. 'Huh. He must hold quite the grudge.'

'Not funny,' Fiyero told her sternly. 'Anyway, the Lion… that's the Cub we saved in History class that day. Remember?'

She stared at him as if he were crazy. 'Are you asking me if I remember the most life-changing day of my life? The day I fell in love with you? Really? Well, let's see if I remember,' she said sarcastically. She closed her eyes and begin to recite part of the conversation they'd had that day in the precise words they'd used back then. 'I was rambling, then you said, 'Do you ever let anyone else talk?' And I said sorry, but if I could just say one more thing. Then I said, 'You could have walked away back there,' and you asked, 'So?' and I said, 'So, no matter how shallow and self-absorbed you pretend to be…' and then you cut me off and you told me that crap about you being genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow…'

'…and then you said, 'No, you're not. Or you wouldn't be so unhappy',' Fiyero finished quietly. She stared at him in amazement. 'You remember, too.'

He rolled his eyes. 'Fae, that day was at least as life-changing for me as it was for you. It was the day I fell in love with you, too. Didn't you notice that at the time?'

She shook her head numbly and he chuckled. 'And I was cursing myself back then for being so obvious. When you saw that I was bleeding, you said, 'It must have scratched you' – remember my extremely intelligent response to that?'

She smiled slightly. ''Or maybe it scratched me, or something'.'

He chuckled again. 'Exactly. I thought that was kind of a giveaway.'

'I honestly didn't think anything of it at the time,' she admitted, shaking her head. 'I just thought you weren't listening to me – you never listened to anyone back then, so that wasn't much of a surprise.'

'I _wasn't _listening,' he told her. 'Because I was mesmerised by your face.'

She blushed. 'I saw you with Glinda – Galinda – afterwards, and I just… I thought I had imagined it. The spark. I thought I was the only one who felt that way… that I wasn't that girl for you.' She trailed off again and shook her head. 'Don't wish, don't start... Wishing only wounds the heart,' she muttered, more to herself than to Fiyero, but he heard her anyway.

'Is that what you've been telling yourself?' he demanded. 'That you shouldn't wish, because if it doesn't come true, it only hurts?'

She looked straight at him and stated as some sort of explanation, 'I wasn't born for the rose and pearl.'

'Yes you were,' he said softly, pulling her into his arms. 'You just didn't know it back then. Oz, I wish I had kissed you then, that day with the Cub... or at least _told _you how I felt. But I was scared, and so I ran away… You know, when Glinda got back from the Emerald City alone, completely upset, crying, telling me that you were gone… I felt like kicking myself. Hard. I let you go, and I wasn't sure if I would ever get the chance to get you back again.'

She looked up at him. 'You've got me now.'

'And you have no idea how grateful I am for that,' he replied, leaning down to kiss her. Their moment was interrupted by Dorothy trudging back to them through the woods, clapping her hands as she saw them together. 'You two make such a cute couple!'

They both decided to ignore that. 'Did you say goodbye?' asked Fiyero, and the girl nodded. 'Yes. I told them you were here and you could get me home, and they both seemed very happy for me – although I think Lion might actually miss me… but he'll survive,' she decided.

'Fine, then. Let's do this.' Elphaba kneeled down next to the book again and looked at Dorothy questioningly. 'Ready?'

'Not quite yet,' the girl said hesitantly. Then she suddenly flung herself at Fiyero in a fierce hug. 'Thank you,' she said to him. Then she hugged Elphaba, who was feeling decidedly awkward with the little girl clinging around her neck. 'And you, too. For coming with me when I was alone, for getting me home, for… well, everything.'

'No.' Elphaba shook her head. 'Thank _you_. Without you, we'd both be dead right now.' She sounded a bit gruffly – she wasn't really much better at thanking people than she was at apologising – but Dorothy didn't seem to notice. The girl looked shocked. 'What?'

'It's true,' Fiyero agreed. 'If you hadn't helped me get into the Emerald City just in time, Elphaba wouldn't have saved herself and would have burned at the stake. And I can assure you I would have followed not soon after,' he said, boring his eyes into Elphaba's, daring her to protest. She didn't. She had seen for herself that he meant it – that if she was dead, he wanted to be dead as well. She still didn't understand how someone could feel that way about her, she didn't agree, she had told him several times that he was stupid for even _thinking _it; but she didn't question it any longer. So she just nodded and looked at Dorothy right now. 'So, thank you for saving our lives.'

Dorothy was beaming now and hugged the both of them all over again. 'I think I'll miss you guys,' she confessed, and Elphaba smirked. 'It's nice to know there are actually people out there liking me,' she said, not really joking. 'Okay, now think of your home. Try to picture it as detailed as possible. Got it? Alright then, let's get you there.' She started chanting from the Grimmerie and watched as Dorothy kept her eyes squeezed shut and clutched Toto to her chest, clearly concentrating. Elphaba finished the spell and the little girl seemed to fade; then she was gone.

Elphaba was about to say something when they heard shouts, then thumping footsteps and the snapping of twigs. She whipped her head around in alarm. 'What…' Just then, she found a gun pointed right at her.

Fiyero's eyes had grown wide. 'Oh, Shiz…' He cursed. 'Remember what Dorothy just said? She told the Tinman and the Lion that we were here…'

Now Elphaba's eyes widened as well in realisation. 'Boq.' She shook her head. 'He must have told the Gale Force.'

As if that was his cue, the Tinman appeared, pointing at Elphaba triumphantly. 'That's her! That's the Wicked Witch! And he is…' He trailed off and stared at Fiyero. 'Fiyero?'

'Nice to see you, too, Boq,' Fiyero snapped, not _believing _his former friend could sink this low. He had known that Boq held a grudge against Elphaba, but he hadn't counted on it being this big an issue for the former Munchkin. 'Thanks for betraying us. If anyone ever tries to kill you again, I'll make sure Elphaba doesn't save you, you can count on that.'

'But…' Boq spluttered, but the Gale Force soldiers moved in between the Tinman and the couple and they quickly handcuffed both Elphaba and Fiyero. Elphaba struggled like a wild cat, hissing and biting and squirming to get loose, but only succeeded in getting herself hit across the face by one of the soldiers.

'Finally, we've got you again!' the Captain growled. 'I'm going to take you to Madame Morrible, little Miss Witch. She wants to see you – I think you can count on that visit to not be pleasant.' He narrowed his eyes at Fiyero. 'And if this isn't our treacherous former Captain of the Guard. You are a disgrace.' He spit on the ground in front of Fiyero's feet. 'We're going to lock you up in a nice, dark dungeon until we get orders on what to do with _you_.' Elphaba started squirming again, but to no avail. The ropes were too tight and the guards were with too many. One of them held her bag with the Grimmerie in it and she winced a little. They would take the book straight back to Morrible… this wasn't good – this wasn't good at all.

A few soldiers blindfolded and gagged the two, once again ignoring Elphaba's struggles. Then the Captain barked, 'Let's get back to the Emerald City!'

* * *

**Hey... would you guys mind telling me which parts of each chapter you liked? Like, lines, remarks, specific things? Things that you found funny, or cute, or sad, things that, say, got to you? I'd like to know that - I think it could help me improve my writing :). Plus I'm just curious if you like the same parts I like myself, or if you guys have a completely different taste ^_^.**


	10. Chapter 10 Reunion

**AN: Still wondering why I keep doing this to you?**

**BECAUSE I CAN. Muahahahahahaa. And because it's funny.**

**That being said... here's the next chapter.**

* * *

'My, my, my,' Morrible almost purred, positively smirking as she studied the two captives that were being held down on the floor in front of her. 'If it isn't our lovely Prince Fiyero. I thought I had you liquidated a long time ago.'

'I'm tougher than I look.' Fiyero's posture was stiff and some people might think of it as being defiant, but Elphaba knew that wasn't it. She could see in his eyes that he was in pain; he was just trying to hold it together. It only made her the more furious.

Morrible turned to face the raven-haired witch. 'And our dear Miss Elphaba. You almost had me fooled with your little trick at the stake. Why are you still fighting us? You know it's fruitless, don't you? One way or another, we will defeat you and kill you in the end. It's only a matter of time. So for how long are you planning to keep fighting?'

She glared at the fish-woman. 'Until the day I die, remember?' she said between clenched teeth. 'And obviously, that day hasn't arisen yet.'

'No, it hasn't,' agreed Morrible. 'Yet.' She grinned evilly. 'I can assure you, though, that it will come soon.'

'That's what you said last time.'

Morrible's face flushed. 'Don't make any mistakes here, dearie. I am the superior sorceress in this room and with the Wizard gone, I have all the power over Oz. You can't stop me!'

'Wanna bet?' Elphaba challenged her recklessly. Morrible exhaled to calm herself down and looked at the guards. 'Take them both to the dungeons. I'll deal with them later.'

'Yes, Madame,' the guards complied and they took both Fiyero and Elphaba with them, to the dungeons, and threw them into separate cells – Elphaba in the one she'd been in before, Fiyero in the cell next to her. The guards locked the door and left again.

She could hear Fiyero grunt softly and she flew towards the bars, but since his cell was right next to hers, she couldn't see him – there was a solid wall separating the cells. 'Yero?'

'I'm okay,' he said, but she could tell that he was not. He was in pain, and once again, it was all her fault. Would this ever end?

She sank down onto the floor and hugged herself. 'I should have looked for an escape spell.'

'Can't you use the one you used last time?' asked Fiyero.

She shook her head, even though he could not see that. 'No. It's a rather dangerous one, plus it only works on myself – I wouldn't be able to take you with me. And don't even _think _about saying what you're about to say right now, because I would _never _leave you here by yourself.' She rested her forehead against the bars. 'Why did they separate us?' she whispered.

'It's okay, Fae,' she heard Fiyero's soothing voice from the cell next to her, but for the first time, it didn't reassure her in the slightest. 'We'll be okay.'

She rammed her fist against the bars. 'No, we won't! Don't you see? We're both going to die and it's all going to be my fault! You should have never come with me! You should have let me die – you should have let me die when the Gale Force caught me! You'd be much better off if you had! Don't you see that I bring you nothing but pain and misery? I'm a walking disaster!' She had leapt to her feet and was screaming at the top of her lungs right now, her voice echoing through the dungeons. Strangely enough, it somehow relieved the pressure on her chest a little.

She took a deep breath and curled up on her cot. 'I'm going to sleep.'

'Fae…' He tried calling her several times, but she didn't respond. She knew he would try to reassure her, tell her that it was not her fault, and she didn't want him to do that, because he would be wrong. So she stayed silent, until he finally gave up and went to sleep himself.

Elphaba never slept, however. She sighed and went back to sit on the cold cobblestones, leaning her forehead against the cool bars of her cell. She could now make out a faint figure on the cot in the cell opposite hers – Cyara's old cell. She wondered what had happened to the young girl. Had she been released and reunited with her parents? She hoped so. She winced a little when she remembered only now that she hadn't told Fiyero about her relationship with his younger sister. She just hadn't thought of it, with everything going on – the escape from the City, changing Fiyero back, then escaping Kiamo Ko again… She promised herself to tell him when he'd wake up.

She tried to see who the new occupant of Cyara's cell was, but she couldn't see much. So she just leaned her head against the bars again and closed her eyes.

After a while, she heard the person in the other cell stir, as if he or she was just waking up. There was the shuffling of feet finding their balance on the floor, then the person started moving around the cell. The footsteps stopped abruptly, however, and suddenly, a familiar voice spoke up, sounding incredulous. 'Elphaba? Is that you?'

The green girl lifted her head and looked straight into the emerald green eyes of Cyara.

She let out a mirthless chuckle. 'Sweet Oz, kid. I wish I could say it's good to see you again, but I must admit I'd rather not have. Not in these circumstances, anyway.'

'It _is _you! You're alive!' Cyara's face grew serious. 'Why are you here?'

'I could ask you the same thing.'

'I asked first,' insisted Cyara, and Elphaba smiled faintly. 'So you did. I got caught again.'

Cyara rolled her eyes. 'I could have deduced that much myself, thank you very much, but knowing you, that's all I'm gonna get from you. And me… I'm here again because… um…' She faltered. 'After you were… after we… um… got… separated?' she tried, and Elphaba heaved an exasperated sigh. 'Why is everyone avoiding the subject of my _execution_? It doesn't bother _me _to talk about it.'

'It bothers _me_, okay?' snapped Cyara. She sobered immediately, however, and she pulled her ragged cloak tighter around her. 'Well, after that… I joined the Resistance.'

Elphaba's eyes lit up. 'You did?'

Cyara nodded and the dark-haired witch grinned at her fellow prisoner. 'I'm proud of you, kid.'

'Don't be,' Cyara grumbled. 'I was all proud myself when I was assigned a mission… and then I got caught. On my first mission. That's about as pathetic as it gets, I think. So as you can see, there's nothing to be proud of. And on top of it all, it made me end up in here again.'

Elphaba shook her head in mild amusement. 'Well, I'm still proud of you for trying.' The she became serious again. 'Are you going to be okay?'

Cyara heaved a sigh. 'I don't know. They haven't told me what they're going to do with me just yet, but considering that I've been here before…' She shrugged and Elphaba looked at her sympathetically. 'I wish I could help you.'

'You've helped me,' Cyara assured her. She hugged her knees and sighed. 'At least my parents got out of the City safely. There's this big,' her voice lowered to a whisper, '_rebellion _plan going on, and my parents are going to find themselves and Glinda allies to fight with them against the Wizard and Morrible. They want to overthrow them.'

Elphaba's eyes were shining. 'Oz, I hope that works.'

'So do I,' agreed Cyara.

Elphaba's response was cut short by Fiyero, who asked sleepily, 'Fae? Who are you talking to?'

Cyara's eyes had widened at the sound of his voice and she gaped at Elphaba and whispered incredulously, 'Is that…'

Elphaba grimaced and nodded. 'Um… I didn't get a chance to tell either of you about the other yet,' she said apologetically. 'Kid… he's still alive. Long story. Tell you later. Yero… This is an old dungeon friend of mine that you might be happy to see.'

He sounded confused. 'Why would I know any of the people you met down here?'

Cyara snorted at that, pretending to be indignant. 'Nice to see you again, too, Yero.'

Now he sounded positively baffled. 'Cy… Cyara?'

The girl couldn't help herself any longer – her face broke into a grin and she squealed loudly. 'I'm so glad you're still alive! Mom and Dad and I, we all thought you were dead, and…'

'Mom and Dad?' he interrupted her. 'Are they here too?'

She shook her head and Elphaba assumed that the other girl could see Fiyero in the cell next to her. 'They escaped the City. If everything went well, they're home by now.' She told him everything that had happened since he had disappeared, and he was amazed. 'So you guys… you were in the dungeons together?'

Elphaba nodded, then remembered he couldn't see her, and said, 'Yes. We became friends, actually.'

'What about you?' asked Cyara excitedly. 'How did you survive, Fiyero? And Elphaba, what happened? How did you find each other?'

'That's kind of a long story,' Elphaba began, but just then, the dungeon doors opened and both girls winced in apprehension. It wasn't time for dinner yet, so guards coming down here could only mean one thing: someone was off to be tortured. And given Elphaba's recent behaviour towards Morrible, not to mention the fact that the old hag considered the green girl her most prominent threat and enemy, it was very likely that the dark-haired witch was about to be dragged from her cell.

Sure enough, two guards stopped in front of her cell only moments later. One opened the door, while the other one barked, 'Elphaba Thropp?'

She straightened her back and met their gaze. 'Yes.'

'We have heard from reliable sources that you're hiding the location of another Animal hideout from us,' the guard explained, wearing a smug expression on his face. Elphaba just eyed him warily. 'You mean Morrible needs another excuse to torture me?'

'That's exactly what I mean,' the guard nodded, still smirking. 'That, and she wants to teach you a lesson. She said you'd know yourself why that was.'

_I should have kept my big mouth shut in the Throne Room_. On the other hand… that probably wouldn't have helped her one bit. Morrible wanted to inflict as much pain upon her as possible, no matter what she did or said.

Elphaba could hear Fiyero gasp. 'No! Fae!'

'Well, well,' the second guard said mockingly, walking over to Fiyero's cell. 'If it ain't our handsome Vinkun Prince. What's the matter, boy? Want to come with us, too?' He slammed his sword against the bars of Fiyero's cell, making a loud, clinging noise, and Elphaba flared up. 'Don't touch him!' she snarled.

The guards both laughed. 'Oh, come on, honey, we're just having a little fun.'

'Would you just take me with you and get it over with already?' she snapped, extending her arms to be handcuffed. The guards laughed again, but did handcuff her and started taking her away. Fiyero flew towards the bars. 'Fae!'

'I'll be back, Yero,' she said over her shoulder, sounding tired, as the guards led her away. The door slammed shut and Fiyero rested his forehead against the bars, feeling desperate. 'Has this happened before?'

Cyara just looked at her brother sadly. 'I wish I could say no to that.'

He nodded numbly. 'How bad is it?'

Cyara hesitated. 'It… it differs. Sometimes, it's really bad… sometimes less so. But the last time they said Morrible needed an excuse to have her tortured, and they were wearing those same expressions on their faces…' She swallowed. 'It… it wasn't good.'

'What does that mean? How bad is 'not good'?' Fiyero demanded. Cyara sighed and let her gaze drift towards the floor. 'You've seen the burn marks on her skin? That's when she got them.'

Fiyero slumped to the floor and Cyara closed her eyes, not able to bear the pain she could see in her brother's sapphire eyes. Had it really only been a few years ago that they both lived happily at Adurin Iir? That he was teasing her with her boyfriends and she teased him with his girls? That he had been dancing through life and their parents had been desperate? It seemed like a lifetime ago.

* * *

Elphaba was familiar with the room and the routine by now. They whipped her, burned her, kicked her, beat her. She tried to bite her tongue at first, but couldn't stop herself from screaming in the end, which satisfied them to no end. It was the same old thing, and she felt more numb than anything else – except from the moments when a searing pain would rip through her as they hurt her.

Afterwards, they left her alone and not much later, Glinda entered, looking horrified at the sight of her friend. 'Oh, Elphie…'

The green witch managed a half-smile. 'Hey, Glin.'

Glinda started crying. 'I'm so sorry, Elphie!'

'Please don't go over this again,' said Elphaba gently, wincing as she accidentally moved. 'You did well. You convinced them all.'

'It won't last much longer,' Glinda promised her in a whisper. 'Did Cyara tell you? There's a civil war at hand. Morrible and the Wizard will fall, Elphie. Just hang on until we get there, okay?'

Elphaba closed her eyes in pain for a moment before looking back into her friend's dark blue eyes and nodding. 'I'll try.'

Glinda gave her a final, sad smile before opening the door again. 'Jiuorno?'

A guard – one she hadn't seen around much, and also one higher in rank than the others, judging by his uniform – saluted. 'Yes, Miss Glinda?'

Glinda knew this man. He wasn't exactly a friend, but he was close; he was someone that was devoted to her, that trusted her completely and she knew he would never let her down. She wasn't willing to trust _him _completely yet, but she felt like she could ask him this much without raising suspicions. 'I want you to take Elphaba back to the dungeons.'

He saluted again. 'Of course, Miss Glinda.'

'Put her in a cell with Fiyero Tiggular.'

Elphaba's head shot up and a light was in her eyes that hadn't been there before. It broke Glinda's heart to see it. It should be self-evident that she and Fiyero were together, not a privilege. They _belonged _together. They shouldn't have to run and hide and be tortured and watch each other almost die so many times…

Glinda shook her head to clear it from the thoughts and Jiuorno nodded at her. 'I will, Miss Glinda.'

She met Elphaba's gaze. The green girl had wrestled herself to her knees and was now staring at her. 'Thank you,' she mouthed, and Glinda smiled sadly in return. Then she left with a swirl of her silver skirts, and the guard took Elphaba with him to the dungeons.

Fiyero leapt to his feet as he heard the door and the footsteps, and when the guard appeared with Elphaba, his heart sank. 'Oh, Fae…' he whispered, tears springing to her eyes at the condition she was in. There seemed to be blood everywhere, the back of her dress was ripped and he could see the angry red lashes where the whip had struck her. There were burn wounds on almost every exposed patch of skin he could see.

He was surprised, however, when the guard opened not Elphaba's cell door, but Fiyero's own, and handed the girl over to Fiyero in what could almost be described as a gentle way. 'Orders from Miss Glinda,' the guard told him softly, with what seemed a sympathetic smile – but no, that wasn't possible – before he went back up and left them by themselves.

Fiyero held her in his arms, wishing fervently that there was something, anything, he could do. He wished that he could get them all out of here, he wished that all of this was over, he wished they could just live a happy and peaceful life together. What had they ever done to deserve this fate? He didn't know.

She stirred in his arms and pressed her face into his shirt, smiling faintly. 'They really did put us together… thanks to Glinda. Thank Oz. I don't think I'd have lasted long without you.'

'Me, neither,' Fiyero admitted softly. 'Are you…'

She opened one eye and grunted, 'I've been through worse.'

'Stop trying to be strong.' He gently put her down on the cot and kneeled next to it, stroking her ebony hair. 'We'll be okay, Fae,' he whispered, trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince her. 'We have to be.'

'We will be,' she murmured, drifting off to sleep or unconsciousness, he wasn't sure. 'One day.'

'One day,' he agreed softly as he watched her eyelids flutter shut.

* * *

'Yero?'

Fiyero looked up from where he had been resting his head in his hands, only to find his younger sister's emerald green eyes watch him in concern. 'How is she?'

He looked back at the green girl on the cot beside him, but before he could answer, Elphaba herself groaned without as much as opening her eyes, 'I'm _fine_.'

'No, you're not,' Cyara said matter-of-factly before directing her attention back towards Fiyero. 'Yero?'

He smiled. Apparently his sister had figured it out, too: that Elphaba never admitted how she was truly feeling. Not when it came to pain. She would bear the pain, but she would never admit how much it hurt; they could cut off her head and she'd still say she was fine – not that he wanted to see that theory put to the test.

He looked Elphaba up and down, despite her muttering indignantly about her being perfectly fine. 'She's…' He swallowed. 'She'll survive,' was what he eventually settled for. For what he could see, that was as much as he could safely say without straying too far from what he assumed to be the facts. She wasn't fine, or good, or anything even resembling it; he had to admire her strength, however, even though her trying to act as if nothing was wrong also annoyed him to no end. 'She never breaks, does she?'

'Stop talking about me as if I'm not here.' Elphaba sounded tired, but truly annoyed, which for some reason reassured them both. She sounded more like herself.

They ignored her, however, and Cyara met his gaze. 'She did,' the girl said softly. 'I saw her broken.'

He didn't ask what had caused that to happen because he didn't have to, and he didn't ask what exactly it had been like because he didn't want to know. Instead, he just stroked Elphaba's hair. 'At least we're together now.'

'You know I would never want you to be locked up down here with me,' she mumbled, 'but is it selfish of me to feel the slightest bit happy that you are?'

He hugged her gently. 'You could never be selfish, Fae. I'm happy I'm here, too. I never wanted you to be here on your own in the first place and I'm sorry you were.'

'Well… I wasn't _truly _alone,' she acknowledged. 'I had Cyara.'

A sarcastic voice came from the cell opposite theirs. 'Yes, because I've been _such _a great help to you while you were being taken away to be tortured and then to be murdered…'

Elphaba pushed herself up a little, despite the worried look on Fiyero's face, so that she could see the other girl. 'You _were_, you know,' she said solemnly, looking the blonde girl in the eyes. 'You kept me going. You gave me hope.'

'I didn't do anything.'

'You were there,' said Elphaba simply. 'You talked. You listened. That was enough.'

They were all silent for a while. Then Cyara suddenly giggled – though it sounded a bit mirthless. 'This is ridiculous. Just look at us. All of our lives were normal – well,' she corrected herself with a glance at Elphaba, 'at least relatively so, sort of… up until some point. And then everything just fell apart – not a little, but completely. And no matter how hard we try, we can't seem to put the pieces back together again.'

'Don't be pessimistic, Cy,' Fiyero chided his sister. 'You sound like Elphaba.'

The raven-haired witch glared at him. 'Thank you so much,' she said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

Cyara sounded almost the same when she said with a small snort, 'Please, Yero. Just look around you. None of us says it out loud, but we all know that us being down here is not good and there's no need to sugar coat it. Me, having already committed another 'crime' before? I'll probably be stuck here for years. The two of you? I'm sorry I have to say it, but we all know your punishment will be even worse.'

'I thought you said you weren't going to sugar coat it,' said Elphaba tiredly. 'The un-sugar coated version is more like this: Fiyero and I will be dead within a few days at most.'

'I didn't want to be _that _harsh.'

'It's not harsh,' Elphaba corrected her. 'It's the truth.'

Fiyero threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. 'Guys, come on! This isn't a lost cause yet!'

Cyara eyed him with what almost looked like pity. 'My dear brother,' she said mockingly. 'Always the optimist.' She tried to sound sarcastic, but he could hear the despair and the fear and the slight quiver in her voice. Cyara was scared. He couldn't blame her, of course; she was his little sister, only seventeen years old, and here she was, in these horrendible dark dungeons, knowing that she'd probably be stuck here for a long time, knowing that her only brother and one of her friends would die here soon… There wasn't anything he could change about the situation, yet he still felt the need to try and make her feel better.

'It's true,' he insisted. 'We shouldn't give up. You said we can't seem to put the pieces of our lives back together, and, well, given that we're down here now, that's true. But that doesn't mean we must stop trying!'

'What's there to try?' demanded Cyara, and he could hear the mild panic in her voice. 'Yero, can't you see it? We're as good as lost! Unless you have some incredible master plan to get us out of here, none of us is going anywhere! Do you? Do you have a master plan?'

He didn't, of course, and she knew that. They were both surprised, however, when Elphaba spoke up thoughtfully. 'Not yet.'

Fiyero felt a small spark of hope inside of him. Perhaps he and his optimism were right – perhaps not everything was lost yet. 'What are you thinking, Fae?'

She shook her head. 'As I said, nothing yet. But we might have time… a little. I might come up with something.' She snorted. 'We're the Crown Prince and the Princess of the Vinkus and the Wicked Witch of the West. Yero is right – we should be able to come up with _something_, shouldn't we?'

Cyara sounded a little more hopeful when she said softly, 'I hope so.'

* * *

'Miss… Miss… Glinda!'

'Chistery?' Glinda was surprised to see the Monkey floating outside her bedroom window. She stepped out onto the balcony and closed the door behind her to prevent anyone from overhearing. 'What are you doing here?'

'Miss… E-Elphaba…' the Monkey tried to say. 'And… Fi-Fi…'

'Fiyero?'

Chistery nodded. 'G-Gale Force. I saw… saw them… captured.'

Glinda nodded sadly. 'I know, Chistery. I know. I just wish…' Suddenly, her face lit up. 'Chistery, could you take a message to the Vinkus for me?'

'Y-Yes, Miss Glinda!'

Glinda smiled. 'Okay then. Listen carefully now. I want you to go to Adurin Iir, the residence of the King and Queen of the Vinkus. Find a way to get into contact with either or both of them. Tell them both their son and their daughter are in the dungeons here in the Emerald City. Tell them that they're safe for now, but that we're running out of time, and ask them how things are going with certain plans – they'll know what you're talking about. Can you do that for me?'

Chistery nodded vigorously. 'Of c-course, M-Miss Glinda!'

'Good. Now go, Chistery. And please hurry!'

* * *

King Hamold Tiggular of the Vinkus frowned when he received the message from the flying Monkey. 'Fiyero and Cyara are in the dungeons?' He ran his fingers through his hair. 'Running out of time… I don't know what to say. What can we do? The armies… we're not ready for an invasion yet!'

Lori's face was flushed and the look in her sapphire eyes was murderous. She looked like a lioness ready to protect her cubs. 'No one touches my children!' she hissed to her husband. She turned towards Chistery then. 'Fly back to Miss Glinda, Chistery, and tell her things will be set in motion immediately. Tell her to expect the invasion of the Emerald City in three or four days at the most.'

Hamold gaped at her in disbelief. 'Three or four days? Lori, the soldiers aren't ready yet,' he said sternly. 'We can't do this. We'll risk their lives if we leave unprepared.'

'I don't care!' she spat at him. 'I can't believe you're even _saying _this – they're your children too!'

His face softened. 'I know, dear. Of course I know. And I'm worried as much as you are. But I'm a King as well, and I have other people's interests to take into account. _My _people's interests. And I'm very sorry, but I won't command them to leave until at least a week from now, when we've had time to come up with a reasonable attack plan. Fiyero and Cyara will last another week, Lori, I'm sure of that.'

'And what if they don't?' the Queen demanded. 'You may not command your armies to leave, Hamold, but I'm their Queen – I have some power over them. I'll convince them to go.'

Hamold looked sceptical. 'You won't be able to. They're trained soldiers; they're not easily convinced to make a move without orders. Not even by their own Queen.'

'I'm not just a Queen, Hamold,' Lori said steadily. 'I'm something far more powerful than that.'

The look in her eyes was almost frightening and he eyed her cautiously. 'What's that?'

Her face was grim and her answer was simple. 'A mother,' she said calmly, but her voice and her eyes promised danger. 'A very, very angry one.'


	11. Chapter 11 Broken

**AN: Props to Glinda, because Failey wants me to. And because our cute bubbly blonde indeed does deserve it :).**

**Furthermore, I'm happy, because Sister Act is here in the Netherlands and I'm going to get to see it with my Aunt! :D We were originally planning to go with my friend and my Mom, too, but my Aunt got this arrangement for two where dinner and the show are included, and also... drumrolls... a meet and greet with the cast! *squeaky Galinda-dance* So my Aunt is taking me, and you can imagine me being veeeeeery happy right now :D. One of the nuns is played by our former Dutch Nessarose - I'm soooo hoping to get a pic with her! **

**Anyway... after this chapter you'll hate me again. I'm going to answer the questions you're going to fire at me right away, once more: because I can and because it's funny. Feel free to get all angry and desperate and murderous towards me - in fact, I'd be disappointed if you wouldn't act that way - and thus make me laugh :D.**

* * *

Fiyero woke in the middle of the night because Elphaba was screaming.

It was such a sudden, piercing, and high-pitched sound that he bolted upright from sleep, losing his balance and falling off the cot in the process, landing harshly on his back. He scrambled up, blinking his eyes and trying to wrap his mind around what was going on. Before he could do anything, however, Cyara was already there, her pale face appearing behind the bars in the other cell. 'Elphaba!' she yelled with more volume than Fiyero had thought his little sister capable of, her voice echoing through the dungeons.

It worked, somehow, because Elphaba's screaming died down to a soft whimper. 'It's okay,' said Cyara in a soothing voice, softer now. 'Go back to sleep.'

The whimpering stopped and when Fiyero looked at the green girl, she was still sleeping, only silently so now.

He glanced at his sister, slightly baffled. 'What was that?'

'Nightmare,' said Cyara quietly. 'She's been having them almost every night I've spent in the dungeons with her, usually more times a night. Sometimes she screams, sometimes she wakes up, sometimes she suffers them in silence, but she told me one day that they're always there. They're about you, mostly. Sometimes she says your name in her sleep.'

His heart constricted as he looked at the girl he loved again. As if life wasn't horrible enough for her when she was awake…

'In the beginning, I wasn't sure what to do,' Cyara continued. 'Especially since I can't get close to her. After a while, I found out that screaming her name helps. Somehow it gets through to her, even in those nightmares, and it breaks through them or something. I have no idea how, but she said it works, so…' The girl shrugged. 'It was one of the very few things I could do for her while we were both in here.'

Fiyero buried his face in his hands. 'It's my fault.'

'Yes.'

He hadn't expected that and his head shot up. 'What?' Yes, he _did _feel that it was his fault, but he had expected Cyara to try and reassure him that it _wasn't_. She looked back at him with calm, knowing eyes, however. 'I'm sorry, Yero, but it is,' she added in an almost apologetic tone of voice. 'You know what _exactly _they're about? Her nightmares?'

'I think I can make an educated guess,' he mumbled, knowing what had been the most terrifying and desperate moment of Elphaba's life… her breaking point. Cyara nodded. 'When you were taken away by the Gale Force. She said that if you'd just stayed in the forest, she would probably have been able to save herself from them. Only you didn't. You came to rescue her. Don't get me wrong, Yero, it was noble of you!' she said honestly. 'But she feels guilty about it. That you were turned into a Scarecrow, even though it only lasted a few weeks, that you were tortured in the first place… she believes it's her fault.'

'It wasn't,' he whispered, realisation dawning on him. 'It was my own. It was my decision, not hers.'

'You shouldn't have done it,' Cyara said matter-of-factly. 'It was noble and brave and at the time it probably felt like the right thing to do, but you still shouldn't have done it.'

He let out a mirthless laugh. 'All I could think about at the time was to save her life, no matter the consequences. I could have known she would save herself – she's been saving herself for three years already on her own. Only I didn't think. As usual. And now she pays the price for that.' He moaned softly and dropped his head back into his hands. 'It _is _my fault!'

'Would you shut it?' Elphaba suddenly snapped from her spot on the cot behind him and he whirled around only to find her glaring at him in annoyance. He was baffled. 'You're awake?'

'No, I'm sleep-talking.' She rolled her eyes at him. 'I'm a light sleeper, you knew that. It's one of the things spending years on the run does to you. And you two are having a nonsensical discussion. You're both wrong. None of it was Yero's fault, Cyara – you shouldn't be telling him it was.'

'But it was,' Fiyero insisted. 'If I had just trusted you when you told me to let you go by yourself-'

'Feeling guilty about everything is _my _department, remember?' she reminded him. 'And there's nothing you could change about it now anyway.'

'But if I hadn't…'

'You wanted to save me,' she pointed out. 'You _did _save me. And it was my own fault that I needed saving in the first place. The nightmares are just that – nightmares. I'll survive them. Now could the two of you please be quiet, so that I can get some more sleep?'

The siblings fell silent. 'Sorry,' mumbled Cyara sheepishly. Fiyero leaned against the cot and gently stroked her hair away from her face. 'Go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up.'

'I know you will be,' she murmured, and she adjusted her position a little in order to lie on a part of her body that wasn't whipped or burned or bruised. 'Goodnight, Yero my hero.'

'Goodnight, my Fae,' he whispered back, then watched as she drifted back off to sleep.

He kept a close watch on her as she slept, and when he heard her whimper softly and saw her curl up into herself a bit more, flashes of pain and hurt crossing her face, he suspected she was having another nightmare. Sure enough, as he was about to wake her up, she awoke by herself. She didn't stir or make a sound; her eyes just suddenly opened. She watched him vigilantly at first, then blinked a few times and she relaxed as she recognised him. 'Yero.' His name escaped her lips in a sigh and he reached up to take her hand and squeeze it softly. 'It's me, Fae.'

'You okay?' she mumbled sleepily, eyeing him closely, and he rested his forehead against hers. 'I'm fine.'

'Good,' she breathed. Her eyes started to flicker shut again, then opened once more. 'You should sleep, too.'

He started to shake his head, but she managed to glare at him quite impressively, despite the fact that she still seemed to be half asleep. 'Fiyero…'

'Okay, fine,' he complied. 'Move over.' She did, and as he lay down next to her, she snuggled closer to him again, using his chest as a pillow. 'Better?' he asked her.

She sighed softly. 'Much.'

Fiyero fell asleep within no time and she was about to drift off herself when a thought suddenly struck her. She sat up abruptly, eliciting an indignant sound from Fiyero, though he didn't wake up. She stared into the darkness, pondering over a few ideas in her mind. They needed to get out of here. That much was for sure. The only question was: how?

She knew that there were only two answers to that question, one of which was 'a miracle'. She dismissed that first answer almost instantly. Elphaba Thropp had never been one to sit around and wait for miracles. If she could take matters into her own hands, she would.

That left only one answer: the Grimmerie.

She knew the guards had taken it from her when she had been captured. She also knew that it would most likely be with Morrible right now. Which in turn meant she needed to get back into the Throne Room to have even the smallest chance on getting her hands on the book… and unfortunately, there was only one way she knew of to accomplish that.

_Tomorrow_, she promised herself. _Tomorrow I'll try._

* * *

Before she could even start executing her plan, however, fate seemed to be lending her a hand for a change by giving her an excuse to be in the Throne Room.

She woke up to guard marching down the stairs and stopping in front of the cell she shared with Fiyero. She turned around, taking them in sleepily, but before she could do anything, Fiyero had leapt to his feet and was shielding her body with is. 'You're _not _torturing her again!' he growled. 'Over my dead body!'

'That can be arranged, Prince Fiyero,' one of the guard replied drily, 'but that's not why we're here. We were sent to escort Miss Elphaba to the Throne Room.'

Fiyero kept firm in place. Elphaba's eyes, however, lit up at that announcement. This was going to be easier than she thought it would be. Once in the Throne Room, it would be a matter of locating the Grimmerie and finding a way to get to it. That, of course, sounded much easier than it was, but she was confident that she'd think of something. Somehow.

She gingerly rose from the cot. Fiyero glanced at her once, then was at her side instantly to help her. Instead of pushing him away, she flashed him a grateful smile and he kept his arm around her waist steadily as she walked up to the guards. 'The Throne Room?'

'What for?' demanded Fiyero, and one of the guards looked at him mockingly. 'Wouldn't you like to know.'

'Well, he _will _know,' another guard said, with a look at Fiyero. 'Because you're to come with us.'

That made Elphaba's blood run cold and her breath caught in her throat. This wasn't part of the plan. She knew that there was only one reason why Morrible would want Fiyero there. To try and break her. Morrible, and even Glinda, torturing _her_, she could deal with. But the old hag hurting Fiyero… The mere thought caused her blood to boil with rage.

Fiyero was relieved that he could come with her, but when Elphaba uttered a colourful curse under her breath, he frowned. He didn't understand why she seemed so unhappy, suddenly.

It dawned on him, however, when they were both brought into the Throne Room and the first thing Elphaba did was step forward, back straight despite her injuries, eyes blazing. 'You are not touching him.'

Morrible cackled, but her eyes were calculating and cold as she watched how two guards grabbed the green girl's arms and wrenched them behind her back. 'I don't think you're in any position to stop me, dearie.'

The implication of that sentence caused Elphaba's eyes to widen, and she started to struggle heavily against the men who were trying to restrain her. 'You are not _touching_ him!' she screeched, fury clearly audible in her voice, and a few of the other guards watched her warily. Morrible just smirked, which only made Elphaba fight harder.

She only stopped when Fiyero spoke, even though his voice was quiet. 'Fae.'

She stopped struggling and met his gaze. He could see the feral, almost primitive despair in her eyes, and he tried to keep his own gaze steady and reassuring as he said, 'I'll be okay.'

Something flickered in her eyes for a moment, but then she dropped her head and he couldn't read her expression anymore. Morrible motioned for the guards to force them both on the floor and stood there towering over them, her expression smug and grim at the same time. 'Now, Miss Elphaba. Shall we start with you or with your lovely Prince here?'

Elphaba glared at her and Morrible spat out a laugh. 'I found a new spell, you know. It's a very interesting one, I must say. You see,' she started explaining, as if she were a school teacher trying to explain something to a child, 'the spell paralyses you completely. Everything. You can't move a muscle, you can't blink your eyes, you can't breathe. The best part of it, though, is that you'll be conscious the entire time. I've seen warriors, incredibly strong men, been put down by this very technique.' Her eyes were shining maliciously as she looked down at Elphaba. 'I'd love to try it on you.'

'Do your worst,' Elphaba growled at her. 'I don't care one little bit. You can't break me, Morrible. You almost did, you had me this close, but you'll never fully succeed. I'm stronger than you are and you know it. That's the only reason you're even _trying _to break me – because you know what I'm capable of when you give me just the tiniest bit of leverage. I never thought I'd say this, but you know what? I feel sorry for you. You have achieved nothing in your life. All you've done is induce pain and fear, but no one truly loves you. No one cares about you. You're alone, Morrible. Old and ugly and pathetic and _alone_.'

In that moment, despite all of her injuries, despite the fact that she was being held down onto the floor in an attempt to make her feel inferior to the woman towering over her, she looked more fiery and more fierce than ever, and Fiyero was immensely proud of her. This was his Fae. This was the woman he loved. Her fire, her determination, her strength – all beyond belief. She'd break down sometimes, almost giving up, almost letting go, but always scrambling to her feet again, only to come back stronger. He hadn't thought it possible, but in that moment, he knew he had come to love her even more than he already had.

Morrible, however, didn't seem to amused. She didn't say anything else to them; instead she just started chanting under her breath, and when she finished the spell, Elphaba had collapsed onto the floor, her eyes open, but her entire body unmoving. For an awful clock-tick, Fiyero was convinced that she was dead, but then Morrible leaned forward to place herself into the dark-haired witch's line of vision. 'I know you can hear me, dearie. You see now? It must be hard, isn't it? You see me, and you hear me, but you can't move one tiny finger. You can't breathe. Does it hurt already, the lack of oxygen? You know, this is a most effective form of torture. Take your enemy up to the point where they're about to die, then bring them back again. Over and over and over again, until they either snap and tell you what you need to know, or until you accidentally don't reverse the spell in time and they actually die. Don't worry, though, I'm not planning such an ending for you. No, dearie, your ending will be much, much worse…' She straightened again and looked down at Elphaba with an evil smile.

Fiyero looked into the eyes of the girl he loved and he knew she could see him. 'Hold on, Fae,' he said softly. 'You can do this. I know you can. Just fight to get back to me, okay?'

Morrible snorted. 'How touching.' She started to chant again and when she was done, Elphaba suddenly started drawing in gulps of air, nearly choking on it in the process. It took her a minute or so to get herself together again, but when she did, she didn't in the least seem affected by Morrible's spell. 'That was,' she finally gasped, looking up at Morrible, 'an interesting experience.'

Morrible's face darkened with anger. 'All right,' she hissed. 'Let's see then how you'll react when we start to torture your little boyfriend here!'

Elphaba's glare was fierce enough to make an entire army drop dead on the spot. 'Don't you dare.'

Morrible had already started to chant, however, and Fiyero braced himself, trying to prepare himself mentally for the pain he suspected was coming. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited.

The pain never came. When Morrible reached the end of her spell, Elphaba, who had not been pinned down by the guards again because she had still seemed too weak after the last spell, suddenly lunged forward, effectively placing herself between Fiyero and Morrible. It was too late for anyone to do something at that point and Morrible seemed annoyed when her spell didn't strike Fiyero, but Elphaba instead. 'Have to play the hero again, dearie?' the fish-lady asked in an exasperated tone of voice. 'Trying to save your handsome Prince from harm? It won't work forever, you know. I'm going to make sure that one way or another, you're going to see him suffer. You have my word on that.'

Something flashed in Elphaba's eyes, but she was squirming and writhing on the floor in pain and so Morrible didn't catch it. Fiyero's heart ached as he watched her in so much pain, and he managed to wriggle himself free from the guards still holding him and get to her, gently cradling her head in his lap. 'Ssh,' he cooed soothingly. 'I'm here, Fae. I'm here.'

Her eyes met his for a moment and he could have sworn he saw a look of triumph in there. 'Why did you do that?' he whispered in mild despair. 'You shouldn't have done that…'

'You… saved me once,' she managed to choke out from between clenched teeth, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt not to scream out in agony. 'Now it was… my turn… to return the favour.'

He shook his head, tears shining in his eyes. 'You already saved me so many times, Fae…'

'Don't they make such a cute little couple?' Morrible asked one of the guards in a mock amiable tone of voice. She looked back at the couple with disdain and contempt written all over her face. Elphaba felt bile rising up in her throat and she fell onto her hands and knees, retching on the clean, shiny floor.

'You two are sickening,' Morrible continued in a disgusted tone of voice. 'Pathetic. Are you still trying to say that love makes you stronger, dearie? That it's so important? I dare argue with you. Look at us both now for a moment. You, the one that believes in unconditional love, squirming on the floor like an insect about to be trampled under someone's foot – mine, obviously, since that's all that you are to me anyway. An _insect_.'

Fiyero was holding Elphaba's hair back as she threw up, and when she was done, she looked up to Morrible, her dark eyes burning like fiery coals. Morrible didn't seem to even notice.

'And then look at me. All I ever cared about was _power_. That's what it's truly about, isn't it? Everything has always been about power. It's what makes you the strongest one, the best one, the superior one. Pure, unadulterated power.'

'Ah… but that's where you're wrong, Morrible,' Elphaba gasped as she tried to get a hold of herself –the agonising spell was slowly starting to fade now. 'Love is so much stronger than mere power can… ever be.'

Morrible looked down at her. 'I seriously doubt that, dearie, since I'm not the one vomiting on the floor right now.'

'What doesn't kill you…' Elphaba exhaled audibly and tilted her head a little to meet Morrible's gaze. '…makes you stronger.'

'We'll see about that.' Morrible saw that the effects of her spell were wearing off and she started to chant the first one again, the paralysing spell. As Fiyero felt Elphaba's body go limp in his arms, Morrible grinned at the green girl. 'Now I'm sure you won't be bothering me when I torture your Princey here.'

He could clearly see the panic in green girl's eyes as she realised she was completely helpless now. Morrible started to chant again and Fiyero kept talking softly to Elphaba. 'I'll be okay, Fae. We'll both be okay. Don't worry about me, please… don't worry.'

Elphaba's mind, in the meantime, was raging. Her original plan was failing; she had located the Grimmerie by using her powers when they got in, by sensing the waft of magic that surrounded the book. It wasn't within her reach, however. Morrible had hidden it somewhere, and unless she could break free to start a search for the book, she knew she could never get to it.

On top of that, she was now lying completely paralysed and helpless as Morrible started chanting the spell that would hurt Fiyero. _Her _Fiyero. Again. She couldn't let him get hurt again. She couldn't do nothing, but at the moment, she couldn't do _something_, anything, either. She felt utterly useless and desperate as she fought to not give in. Morrible was nearing the end of the spell and Elphaba thought about the way it had hurt her, the agonising, piercing stabs and lashes of pain searing through her body, breaking it, hurting beyond belief. She couldn't let that happen to Fiyero. She couldn't.

She barely even realised that the power had been building up inside of her until it was too late already. She screamed as she broke free, broke free from the spell Morrible had cast upon her, while at the same time her magic broke free from her body, knocking Morrible and the guards quite literally off their feet as a stunned silence dawned over the room. For a moment, all that was audible were Elphaba and Fiyero's ragged, uneven breaths.

Then, all hell broke loose.

Flames suddenly erupted in several places in the Throne Room and the Palace seemed to rumble for a moment. Commotion filled the hallways and it wasn't before long that a servant poked his head around the doorway. 'Madame Morrible?' he called in a shrill tone of voice. 'We have to evacuate! There's fire everywhere, and everything is rumbling! It's probably an earthquake – we all have to get out of here!' With that, he dashed out into the hallway again.

Gale Force members started pouring into the room, carefully but firmly grabbing Morrible's arms and starting to take her away. 'This is an evacuation, Madame,' one of them told her emotionlessly. 'Don't worry, we'll take you somewhere safe.' They started spreading around the room, talking to the guards that were still there, though dazed and disoriented, and Fiyero was lost for a moment at what to do.

Elphaba wasn't, however; she had recovered quickly from the spell and her outburst and soon scrambled to her feet, grabbing hold of Fiyero's hand and dragging him behind the giant mechanical Wizard's head before anyone paid too much attention to them. They both sat there with their backs against the structure, panting, fingers still firmly entwined.

Fiyero was the first to find his voice. 'An earthquake?' he questioned her in a whisper. 'Fire everywhere? Did you do that? It seems too well-timed to be coincidental, but I never knew…'

'I don't know my own power sometimes,' she acknowledged a bit sheepishly. 'But I guess it was me. As you said, it was too coincidental. But I never know what happens until it just… bursts out.' She shook her head. 'All I could think about was to keep you from getting hurt by her spell…'

He wrapped both his arms around her and kissed her temple. 'Are you okay?'

'I'll manage,' she said, her voice muffled a little by his shirt. They sat like that for some time, waiting until everyone had left the room. The fire was glowing in several places in the Throne Room, illuminating their faces; they were small, contained fires, but judging by the screams and panicked sounds coming from the hallways and the rest of the Palace, it wasn't like that everywhere.

Elphaba was slightly horrified. She had only meant to save Fiyero – she never wanted to set the entire Palace on fire! Still, she couldn't help but feel just the tiniest bit smug about it. She'd always hated the Emerald Palace, mostly because it had been where most of her problems had started and where the Wizard and Morrible lived, but also because it was so incredibly flamboyant and showy.

There was the sound of something heavy crashing down, followed by more screams coming from the hallways. Fiyero rose and pulled Elphaba to her feet. 'We have to get out of here.'

Elphaba's eyes looked even more huge than usual in the flickering light of the fires. 'Go, Yero. Fetch Cyara from the dungeons and get out of here.'

He stared at her. 'You better not be saying what I think you're saying.'

She shook her head. 'I can't come with you yet,' she stated simply. 'I have to stay and find the Grimmerie. I can't leave it here. If it falls – or stays – in the wrong hands, things could go horribly, horribly wrong. Please, Yero… you have to go. Save your sister.'

The Palace suddenly rumbled again, causing them both to lose their balance and fall down onto the floor, and there was another loud crashing noise, as if part of the ceiling had just collapsed. Dust and pieces of plaster rained down on them from the floor at the impact and Fiyero instinctively covered Elphaba's body with his to protect her from a possible crash. When the rumbling stopped, however, he moved away from her, yet keeping a firm grip on her wrist. 'I'm not leaving you here by yourself! It's way too dangerous – what if the Palace collapses down on you? What if you get caught again? You're either coming with me, or I'm staying with you!'

'It might be too late for Cyara if you wait for me!' she pleaded. 'Please, Yero…'

'I'm not leaving you again!' he declared angrily. Elphaba winced as another crashing sound reached them and more matter rained down from the ceiling. Fiyero looked ready to have a mental breakdown and she firmly grabbed his shoulders, spinning him to face her. 'Fiyero, listen to me. I promise – no, I _swear_, on… on my mother's grave… that I'll do everything in my power to return to you.' She knew she couldn't promise him simply to return to him, since there _was_ some danger involved and she never made promises she might not be able to keep. 'But I have to do this, to prevent a lot of people from getting hurt in the future, and you _have _to go get to Cyara now. Please. Before it's too late.'

He hesitated, but he saw the look in her eyes and he knew she wouldn't give in. He also knew she was right – if he didn't move _now_, Cyara might be lost. So he pulled her to him and kissed her, hard. Then he spun around and ran out of the room.

Elphaba took a deep breath to keep herself from trembling and shook her head to clear it. She then took in the room and started her search for the Grimmerie.

* * *

'Hey!' Fiyero shouted at one of the guards running past. 'The dungeons! Open the dungeons! You need to let the prisoners out!'

The guard looked terrified. 'I'm not risking my life for some criminals!' he declared, and Fiyero shook his head quickly. 'I'm not asking you to. Just give me your keys!'

The guard hesitated, then threw Fiyero the bunch of keys from his belt and ran away. Fiyero quickly opened the heavy door and stormed inside. 'Cyara?'

'Yero!' He could hear the relief in her voice as she called back to him. He ran to her cell and tinkered with the keys for a moment, then managed to open the door. His sister threw her arms around him in a quick hug, but when she drew back, her eyes were wide with horror as realisation dawned on her. 'Where is Elphaba?'

'I'll explain later,' he said urgently, pushing her in front of him. 'Go! Get out of here – I'm freeing the other prisoners!'

He watched his younger sister run out as he did just that – letting out the other prisoners. They all ran up the stairs and into the hallways of the Palace; most of them took off right after that, off towards the family they'd been forced to leave behind when they were arrested – most of them for nonsensical crimes, Fiyero knew. He watched them go, then went in search of his sister again. He found her easily between the other people and joined her. 'You okay?'

She looked frightened and shaken, but fine otherwise. 'Yeah.' She suddenly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. 'Yero… where is Elphaba?'

'She'll be here in just a minute,' he assured her, not entirely confident himself, but trusting Elphaba. It was a mess on the square; Palace occupants and servants were gaping at the burning and slowly collapsing building, other people were running around, trying to tend to some minor injuries that had befallen some of those who had been inside the Palace. He couldn't discover Morrible anywhere. Neither did he see Glinda, which also worried him slightly, but his mind soon drifted back to Elphaba. The Palace was shuddering now, ready to collapse entirely any moment. Several towers and parts of the building were already down. He watched the shiny green building intently, expecting Elphaba to come flying out of a window on a newly enchanted broomstick – or any other object, for that matter; she could practically fly anything – any moment now, cackling her Wicked Witch-cackle and frightening the Ozians beyond belief as she so loved to do. She didn't, though. What _did _happen, was something that filled the both of them with horror, despair and grief.

They watched as the Palace gave in and collapsed entirely into a heap of stones and fire.

* * *

**Wow, that was a long chapter. Next chappie Glinda will be back! :D**


	12. Chapter 12 Escape

**AN: Thank you for reviewing! :)**

**There aren't as much reviews as usual - I kind of expected lots of them, what with the cliffie and all, so I'm going to assume that more of you experience the problem Fae the Queen experienced and that you didn't get an alert when I updated, in which case I hope you'll get an alert now and if you do, please review both chapters - I really want to see your reactions to the cliffie :).**

**If that was not the case, it's probably just that it was Mother's Day and you didn't have time to read/review and I'm too impatient, which is nothing I haven't heard before, in which case I am sorry for nagging about the lack of reviews :3.**

**On with the next chap! :) It jumps back and forth a little bit, showing different scenes from different points of view - so it starts right after Fiyero leaves the Throne Room, only this time Elphaba's POV, etc... you'll see.**

* * *

Elphaba searched everywhere for the magic book. She turned the Wizard's mechanical head and the construction behind it inside out, she broke down any floorboards she could find to see if there were hidden spaces underneath it, she looked everywhere, yet she couldn't find the Grimmerie. The fire was spreading fast and she knew she had to hurry.

When the idea struck her, she didn't even pause to question it. Instead, she picked up one of the iron poles that had supported the mechanical head and chanted softly under her breath. She mounted the pole then, as if it were a broom, and it soared up into the air a few metres, allowing her to see the room at a different level. She looked around and soon found what she was looking for: a small hatch in the ceiling in the corner of the room. It hadn't been visible from the ground, but she could see it now, and she flew towards it and pushed it open. A small smile graced her lips as she discovered the Grimmerie inside.

Clutching the book to her chest with one hand, she steered the improvised broom with the other. There was no window in the Throne Room, so she flew out the door and into the hallway, looking for a window so that she could get out of this blasted place.

Most people were outside already; there were several fires spreading in the hallways, parts of the ceiling had collapsed and there was smoke everywhere. The dark-haired witch sought her way through the mess, moving around corners and speeding up faster and faster, until a sound and an image simultaneously reached her and she abruptly held in the flying pole.

The sound came again. 'Help!' Someone coughed, and when Elphaba gingerly landed, she realised that her first feeling had been right. She had known as soon as she saw the blonde curls.

'Glinda?'

The blonde looked up and burst into tears. 'Elphie! Thank Oz, you're okay!'

The green girl knelt down next to her friend. Glinda was covered in dust and ashes, and tears had left streaks down her cheeks. Her leg was stuck underneath some rubble and she couldn't get free.

Elphaba immediately sprang into action, starting to clear away the debris until she could pull Glinda free. The blonde immediately flung her arms around her friend. 'Oh, Elphie, thank you!'

'We have to go,' said Elphaba urgently, grabbing Glinda's hand and pulling the girl with her. 'This place is about to fall apart any clock-tick.'

'How did you escape?' asked Glinda as the girls ran through the hallways, Elphaba now carrying her pole.

'We were in the Throne Room when… um… _this _happened,' Elphaba explained quickly. Glinda didn't ask what Elphaba and Fiyero, as prisoners, had been doing in the Throne Room. She knew Morrible and her ways – she had even been there to watch it last time, so she could make an educated guess. Instead, she moved on to her other question. 'What is _this _exactly? What did happen? One moment everything was fine, and the next, the Palace was rumbling and shaking and there was fire everywhere…'

Elphaba bit her lip, then threw it out. 'I got mad.'

Glinda stopped abruptly and gaped at her friend. '_You _did this?!'

'She was about to hurt Fiyero!' Elphaba defended herself, but Glinda still stared at her, then shook her head. 'Remind me to not ever anger you.'

Elphaba smiled. 'Sure, Glin. Now would you come already?'

They started running again. Rubble and dust rained down from the ceiling again as the Palace shuddered and groaned. Then, suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sound above them. Elphaba yelled, 'Look out!' and before Glinda knew it, the ceiling came crashing down.

Glinda fell to the floor and covered her head with her arms. It seemed to last forever, but then the rumbling stopped again and she peeked from under her arms to where she had last seen Elphie. She could barely see anything because of the smoke and dust filling the hallway, and her eyes were tearing. 'Elphie?'

'Here,' came a croaked sound. Elphaba coughed, then asked, 'You okay?'

'Yeah…' Glinda quickly examined herself. She was trembling with aftershock, but didn't seem to have any physical injuries. 'I suppose so.'

A sigh of relief. 'Good. Get out of here, then. If the building collapses, it'll be too late.'

Glinda nodded. 'Let's go, then.'

A hoarse laugh. 'I don't think I'll be able to come with you.'

'What?' Awful visions filled Glinda's mind – Elphie dying, Elphie paralysed, Elphie with her legs cut off by some sharp piece of rubble… 'Why not? Where are you?' She started feeling around with her hand until she grasped Elphaba's slender green one and she scooted closer to her friend. Relief washed over her as she realised that Elphaba wasn't dying, or paralysed, and that her legs were still attached to her body. She was only covered in an enormous heap of heavy debris.

Her heart sank, however, as she realised the true meaning of that. _Covered in an enormous heap of heavy debris…_

'I'll get you out,' she promised, and she started moving pieces of rubble around, but she knew right from the beginning that it was fruitless. There was too much debris and it was too heavy for her to move on her own. The fires illuminated both their faces as more debris came falling down and Glinda instinctively winced. 'Elphie…'

'Hurry,' said Elphaba urgently. She wriggled one arm free and reached for the Grimmerie, which was lying some distance away from her; she pulled the book towards her and pushed it into Glinda's arms. 'Here. Take it. Keep it safe.'

Glinda's eyes filled up with tears. 'Elphie…'

'Do it!' the green girl snapped. 'There's no time, Glinda! Oz can't be without you – you have to go now! Keep the Grimmerie away from Morrible, and try to make good.' She squeezed her friend's hand. 'You can do it. I know you can. And if you're going to feel guilty about leaving me here, I swear I'll come down from the afterlife to kick your ass and haunt you forever.' Glinda almost laughed through her tears – even after all this time, her friend knew her so well – but she couldn't. She made a choked sound. 'I can't…'

'Yes, you can.' Elphaba pushed the Grimmerie towards Glinda and the blonde clutched it to her chest with her free hand. She kept a tight grip on Elphaba's hand with the other. 'Go now, Glinda. Please go.' Elphaba took a deep breath and a flash of pain crossed her pale face. 'Tell Cyara to make good and that I'm proud of her… and tell Fiyero…' She closed her eyes for a moment, then exhaled and opened them again, looking at Glinda determinedly. 'Tell him I'm sorry, and that I love him.'

Glinda squeezed her friend's hand. 'I will,' she promised in a hoarse whisper.

'Now go.'

The blonde nodded, tears in her eyes, and rose. 'Goodbye, Elphie,' she whispered, before clutching the Grimmerie to her chest with both hands and running off towards the nearest window. She created a bubble around herself and soared out of the Palace and down towards the square, where relieved faces looked and pointed up at her. Cheers went up from the crowd and she smiled back bleakly, before directing her attention back towards the Palace. She kept her gaze fixed on it, her heart breaking all over again as she thought of Elphie. They had been times when they loathed each other and when they had fought, but they had been best friends. She had tried to make her friend popular, teaching her about clothes and boys and make-up, and Elphie had made her see that life _wasn't _all about clothes and boys and make-up. They had always been so different, but they complemented each other; pink goes good with green. That was why they had been such a perfect team together.

_Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been…_

Glinda knew she hadn't failed her friend. She had thought so, for a while; she had been ashamed of and angry with herself because she had been too much of a coward to go with Elphie before, and because of everything else she had done – or refused to do – after that… but she knew Elphie didn't blame her, just as she didn't blame Elphie for Fiyero anymore. That's what friends did – forgive each other. It comforted her that everything was good between them now, that they hadn't parted with mean words or with a fight, but it still hurt to no end. She had watched her friend being taken by the Gale Force, watched her fiancé being dragged to his supposed death, watched her best friend being tortured, even torturing her herself, watched her burn to death at the stake… she had watched Elphie being hurt far too many times. She couldn't do this again. She couldn't lose Elphie again. It just hurt too much.

Just as she thought that, there was more rumbling, louder than before, and before her very eyes, the Palace shuddered and collapsed. Glinda watched in horror, tears streaming down her face, as the building completely crashed to the ground until there was nothing left but a heap of smoking rubble. And somewhere underneath that rubble was her friend.

Before she could help herself, an agonised howl escaped her lips. 'Elphie!'

* * *

Elphaba felt the floor shudder underneath her and she rested her cheek on the floor and closed her eyes. _So this is how I'm dying. I'm not shot down from my broom by the Gale Force or burned at the stake. Not tortured to death by Morrible or even drifting off in my sleep at old age after spending a lifetime with Fiyero. No, I'm going to die because the blasted Emerald Palace crashes down on me, the place I hate most, and it'll be my own fault as well. _She cursed her temper and her powers. Yes, her magical outburst had saved Fiyero from getting hurt, but she had also caused the entire Palace to collapse… with her still in it.

_The irony._

She sighed and tried to wriggle herself free, but she was pinned to the floor by the heavy debris and she couldn't move. She shifted a little bit and suddenly heard a crackling noise, the sound of paper…

She lifted her head and her breath caught in her throat as she saw the single page lying on the floor. She stretched out her hand and grabbed the parchment, pulling it towards her, her eyes flying across the lines. It was a page from the Grimmerie. The magic book had flown out of her hands when the ceiling had collapsed and it had been covered in debris – the page much have gotten detached then and stayed behind now. She scanned the page with her eyes, hoping desperately that the spell on the parchment would be of any assistance to her in her current situation.

As she read the spell over and over again, a small smile appeared around her lips and her eyes started shining again.

Perhaps she wasn't lost after all.

* * *

Fiyero couldn't move. He couldn't speak, he couldn't breathe. He could only stare at the crumbled Palace as the awful truth slowly got through to him.

He only snapped out of it as Cyara squeezed his hand. 'I'm sure she got out in time, Yero.'

He looked at her uncertainly. 'Do you think so?'

'Of course.' Cyara gestured towards what once had been the Emerald Palace. 'Think about it. She escaped the Gale Force for three years. She saved you from a certain death. She escaped what seemed like a certain death herself. She's way too smart to die like this – because of an earthquake and a fire she started _herself_.'

A small, tiny bit of hope flared up inside of him. 'That's true, isn't it?'

'Of course it's true.'

Fiyero caught sight of Glinda then, and he smiled slightly. He was glad his former fiancée was okay. When she floated closer, however, his smile faded. The other Ozians only saw their beloved Glinda the Good, safe and sound, floating in her bubble; he, however, saw the tears dripping from her eyes. The other Ozians were all talking and screaming at each other at the same time, so when she screamed, the sound was lost in the buzz of the mob; but again, he could hear her.

'Elphie!'

It felt as if a thousand tons suddenly weighed down on him and he staggered, his knees buckling. Cyara took a firm hold of his arm and shook him. 'Fiyero. Fiyero, look at me!'

He did. She grabbed both his shoulders and stared into his eyes intently, just as Elphaba had done only an hour or so before.

_Elphaba…_

'Elphaba is smart,' said Cyara. 'You know that. She escaped, Yero. I'm sure of that. Okay?'

He stared ahead blankly. 'I need to talk to Glinda.'

Cyara let him go and he ran over to where the blonde's bubble was still floating, a little aside of the Ozians on the square. 'Glinda!' he shouted, and she heard him and descended. The moment she landed, she flung herself into his arms, sobbing wildly. 'Fiyero!' she wailed. 'I'm so sorry! Elphie… and the Palace… collapsing… and then… debris… I tried, Fiyero, I swear I tried, but…' The rest of her words were lost in her hysterical sobs.

Cyara approached them carefully and gingerly laid one hand on Glinda's shoulder. 'Miss Glinda? Could you please tell us what happened?'

Glinda was still sniffling, but she managed to regain her composure a little as she pulled away from Fiyero. 'I was trapped,' she said softly. 'Under some debris. Elphie found me when she came flying past – she was on her way out… she helped me, and then we ran together, but there weren't any windows close and there was fire everywhere and the Palace was collapsing… and then the ceiling crashed down, and this time it was Elphie that got trapped, only the debris was too heavy and I couldn't get her out… and then she gave me the Grimmerie and told me to go, and…' She started sobbing again. 'She told me Oz needed me…' she hiccupped. 'And I had to tell Cyara to make good, and that she's proud of you… and…' She couldn't look Fiyero in the eyes. 'I had to tell you that she was sorry and that she loves you,' she whispered, before breaking down again. Fiyero, however, felt completely numb.

Cyara awkwardly tried to comfort the blonde witch, in which she seemed to do a good job, because after a while Glinda pulled back and gave the other girl a watery smile. 'Thanks, Cyara.' She took a deep breath and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. She looked stronger now. 'I… I have to go. I'm so, so sorry, Fiyero… Cyara, I don't want to leave you both like this. But the people need me now, and I… Elphie wanted me to… to win their trust. To make good…' Her voice trailed away and Cyara squeezed her hand sympathetically. 'We understand, Miss Glinda. Please go and do what you have to do… what Elphaba would want you to do. I'll take care of Yero.'

Another watery smile. 'In some ways, you reminded me of myself in my younger days…' Glinda said softly, taking in Cyara's appearance – the sandy blonde hair, the emerald eyes, the heart-shaped face. 'But I guess I was wrong. You're like Elphie. Strong and independent and always calm and practical in crises and…' She hiccupped and sniffled again. 'Just…' She shook her head. 'Thank you,' was what she finally settled for. Then she conjured up her bubble again and flew off into the sky.

'How _do _you do it?' came Fiyero's voice, sounding flat and hollow. Cyara looked up into her brother's face and saw the emptiness in his eyes. 'Stay calm and practical? I thought you cared about her…'

Now _that _was the wrong thing to say. Cyara's face flushed and before she knew it, she had slapped her older brother across the face. 'Don't you dare implicate that I don't care,' she hissed. 'I know you've known her much longer and you two love each other, but she and I have been through a lot together as well and I consider her my friend. Just because I don't wallow in self-pity and grief, doesn't mean I don't care!'

'Then why are you not upset?' he demanded. She folded her arms in front of her chest and glared at him. 'Because I still believe she escaped.'

He shook his head. 'You heard Glinda, she-'

'I heard her. But she's done it before – fake her own death.'

Fiyero looked sceptical, but Cyara could see the tiny spark of hope in his eyes. 'You're being overly optimistic.'

'No. I just have faith in Elphaba. She promised you that she'd try her hardest to get back to you, didn't she? I trust her to keep that promise.'

'Trying her hardest might not be enough,' he countered miserably, but his little sister just snorted sarcastically. 'When was the last time that her trying her hardest wasn't enough?'

He took a moment to think about that and realised his sister was pretty much right. 'But… What if…' He suddenly was on the verge of tears and Cyara wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. 'I know, Yero. I know you're scared, but she's okay. I'm sure she is.'

Fiyero buried his face in his younger sister's shoulder and she just held him, talking to him soothingly. When she fell silent, still neither of them pulled away. That is, until he heard her breath catch in her throat and he pulled back to look at her questioningly. 'What is it?'

She was smiling as she pointed at something behind him. 'Fiyero… Look.'

He turned and saw a cat – or perhaps a Cat – looking at them from a small wall. He opened his mouth to ask sarcastically what a _cat _had to do with them, but then he looked more closely and he blinked again. The animal's fur was long, fluffy, and silky, midnight black. Was he imagining things, or was there a hint of amusement in its eyes? Its tail flicked back and forth and it sat still as a statue, watching them. The demeanour of the animal was so Elphaba-like that he almost expected to see her chocolate brown eyes stare back at him from the cat's furry face, but instead, its eyes were green. Emerald, to be precise. The exact same colour as Elphaba's skin.

'Fae?' he whispered, incredulously, and Cyara's grin widened. 'I knew you'd find a way out.'

The cat actually seemed to smirk at them for a moment before hopping down onto the floor and walking away, looking over her shoulder to see if they were following her. When she saw they indeed were, she sped up until she was running and went faster and faster, into the Great Gillikin Forest, with the Tiggular siblings right behind her.

* * *

'Madame?'

Morrible whirled around, snarling, '_What_?!' She was not in the best of moods at the moment. Actually, she was rather furious. Elphaba Thropp and her boyfriend had escaped her again. The wretched girl had somehow managed to break free from Morrible's powerful spell, which worried her to no end. No one should have been able to break such a spell. If Elphaba was capable of this, Morrible could only imagine what else the green girl would be capable of if she set her mind to it.

_Collapsing an entire palace, apparently._

That was to top it all off - Elphaba had brought down the Palace, leaving a big giant _nothing_ in the middle of the Emerald City. Morgana Morrible wasn't irritated or angry. She was furious beyond belief. Or perhaps even 'furious' didn't quite cover the bitter, fuming rage she was feeling right now.

The sentry that had called her quickly stepped back, looking frightened. 'Um, Madame… I'm afraid there's some disturbing news coming from the guards on the City walls, Madame.'

'Disturbing news?' she growled. 'What in Oz could be more disturbing than the Emerald Palace falling apart and all of the dangerous criminals inside escaping?'

The sentry paled visibly. 'Um… Well, Madame, you see… there is… this… um…'

'Stop your stammering and _tell me _already!' she spat at him, and he blanched even further. 'Y-Yes, Madame… The fact is…' He swallowed and then decided to just throw it out. 'The Vinkun army is approaching from the West, Madame. The Quadlings are with them, and I believe I also heard some Gillikins and Munchinland groups being mentioned…' He swallowed again. 'I fear there is going to be an invasion, Madame.'

Morrible blanched first, her face paling until it was sickeningly white, almost green – although she didn't appreciate the irony of that – before flushing, her face turning beet red before deepening even further to some kind of purple. The poor sentry was actually afraid for a moment that she was going to burst. 'Gather the troops!' she screeched, exploding with fury. 'Gather the troops and the Gale Force _right now_ and we'll teach that skunk a lesson! _I _rule the Emerald City, and it will sure as hell stay that way!'

The sentry sprang into position, saluting. 'Aye aye, Madame!' With that, he ran off quickly, leaving Morrible behind to fume on her own.

* * *

When Fiyero and Cyara finally reached a clearing, both of them panting with the long run, the black cat was sitting on a tree trunk, seeming amused. 'What took you so long?'

Only now, when he heard Elphaba's melodious, slightly husky voice come out of the cat's mouth, was he really convinced that it was her. 'Fae?'

'Who else?'

Cyara couldn't resist and bent over towards her brother to murmur in his ear, 'Told you so.'

He was far too relieved to feel irritated. He ran towards the witch and kneeled on the floor in front of her, stroking her silky fur. 'So what happened?'

'I saw you talk to Glinda earlier. I assume she told you?'

Fiyero nodded and cat-Elphaba made a face. 'I need to find her and tell her I'm okay. But that can wait a little while longer. Anyway, when she left, I found a piece of the Grimmerie on the floor with just the spell that could get me out.'

'A shape-shifting spell,' understood Cyara, and Elphaba nodded. 'Exactly. In cat form, I could wriggle myself free and lunge at the nearest window. Thank Oz the cliché about cats landing on their feet is true, otherwise I'd be cat-mush right now.'

'That's not funny, Fae,' Fiyero told her flatly, and she jumped into his arms and rubbed her head against his chest. 'I know. I'm sorry.'

He sighed, cradling her against him. 'That's okay. As long as you're alive, that's all that matters.'

'I promised, didn't I?' It wasn't exactly what she had promised, but she decided it was close enough.

'So what do we do now?' asked Cyara. Elphaba tilted her head a little. 'I overheard a conversation between Morrible and a sentry earlier. Your parents are here, with the Vinkun army. I heard they also gathered some others – Quadlings and Gillikins, Munchkinlanders even. It seems the invasion has begun.'

Cyara beamed at her. 'That's wonderful!'

Fiyero grinned now. 'It certainly is. So, Fae, why don't you change yourself back and we can go and meet my parents and the armies there? I'm sure we'd be able to be of some assistance in one way or another.'

It couldn't be easy for a cat to look sheepish, but somehow Elphaba managed to pull it off. 'Yeah… there's a slight little problem with that.'

Fiyero furrowed his brow in concern. 'What kind of problem? Is everything alright?'

'I'm fine,' she assured him. 'It's just…' She took a deep breath and winced a little in anticipation. 'I don't know how to turn myself back.'


	13. Chapter 13 Happy

**AN: Thank you soooo much for reviewing again! :D **

**I don't really have much to say, so on with the story.**

**Oh no, wait: I learned how to play Let Her Go on the piano! :D You know, the song from Love is all you need? And I can also play the intro of I'm Not That Girl (still working on the rest). Totally fangirling here.**

* * *

Fiyero stared at her. 'Please tell me you're joking.'

Elphaba shook her head miserably and rested her chin on her front paws. 'I wish I could. But it's true. This spell is meant for shape-shifting into a different form. I'll need another spell to return to my original form, only it wasn't on the Grimmerie page I found… I'm pretty sure it's on the next page. One of the pages still _inside _the Grimmerie.'

It dawned on Cyara first. 'But Glinda has the Grimmerie now.'

'You could never get to her,' said Fiyero. 'She's surrounded by guards right now and she's extremely busy. You can never meet with her unnoticed.'

'Not as myself,' Elphaba acknowledged. 'But I don't think anyone would find a small black cat roaming through the City suspicious.'

'Perhaps not, but I'm not letting you go into the City by yourself,' stated Fiyero. Elphaba sighed and prepared to protest, when Cyara spoke thoughtfully, 'I'll go with you.'

They both looked at her. She shrugged. 'I'm not that famous in the City – not yet, anyway,' she added with the tiniest bit of sarcasm. 'We'd just be a blonde girl and her cat. No one would notice us. It's a better idea than _you _going with her, Yero – everyone knows who you are and you'd be captured again in no time. So you go meet up with Mom and Dad and help lead the invasion, and I'll take Elphaba back into the City and we'll get Glinda to change her back.'

Elphaba nodded. 'I think that would be our best shot.'

She felt Fiyero's grip on her tighten. 'Maybe, but… Could we just…' He swallowed. 'I know we're running out of time, but I… Can we stay together for a little while longer? Please? I know it's selfish of me to ask, but Cyara, you're my little sister and I haven't seen you in _months_… except for two days in the dungeons. I've been so worried about you… And Fae, I… I thought you were dead just now. I… I need you. Both of you.' He looked uncomfortable, as if he wished he could take his words back, but Elphaba just licked his cheek. 'Of course, Yero. We can stay here for a few hours. It'll be easier to creep around in the dark, anyway.'

He hugged her to him gratefully and she sighed. 'Oz, I wish I could kiss you right now.'

Cyara made a face. 'Ew. Gross.'

The black cat looked at her in amusement, eyes twinkling with mischief. 'What? Never stuck your tongue in a cat's mouth before?'

'_Ew_.'

'I happen to know this young couple, you know – they met at the Resistance and they fell in love, a human girl and a Goat boy, and he licked-'

'Elphaba,' the blonde girl cut her off sternly. 'I _really _don't want to hear that.'

Elphaba just smirked at her.

Cyara sat herself down on a tree trunk and Fiyero leaned his back against it, while Elphaba nestled herself in his arms. Her tail whacked him in the face and a soft mew escaped her. 'Sorry. Not quite used to the tail yet.'

'That's okay,' he assured her, stroking her silky fur. She purred softly, he noticed, and he grinned a little. 'Taking over catty habits?'

The purring stopped immediately and horror flashed across her face. 'I am, aren't I?'

He chuckled softly. 'I don't mind.'

'Well, I do.' Her tail swooped back and forth in irritation. 'What if I'm starting to actually _become _a cat?' she demanded in a slightly higher-pitched tone than usual. 'What if soon, I'll forget I ever was human, and I can't speak anymore, and I'll live out the rest of my life mewing and swatting at flies?'

Cyara giggled at that and Elphaba flashed her a dangerous glare. Fiyero didn't seem impressed. 'I'll take care of you.'

'Or what if I can never change myself back? What if I'll be stuck in this form forever?'

'Hey.' He lowered his face to level it with hers and gazed into her now emerald eyes. 'You loved me when I was a Scarecrow. I will love you if you stay a cat. Your form has nothing to do with why I love you, Fae.'

She mewed softly, clearly not convinced, and Cyara let out a soft squeal. 'Oh, that sounded _so _adorable.'

Elphaba bristled, her hair and tail standing upright. Fiyero laughed. 'Let me warn you, little sis, in case you didn't already know: if you're fond of your limbs being attached to your body, don't ever call Fae adorable ever again.'

Cyara just smirked. 'Isn't she a cute kitty cat?'

'You're pushing your luck, Cy.'

Elphaba lashed out at the Princess, but without extending her nails. 'If you ever call me 'kitty' again, I'm going to slowly and painfully torture you to death.' Cyara just laughed.

They talked until late into the night, about everything that had happened while they had been apart. Fiyero asked his sister about his parents, but she couldn't tell him whether they were okay or not. 'They probably are, if they're part of an invasion,' she assured him, and he had to admit that she was right about that.

Cyara drifted off to sleep after a while, leaving Fiyero and Elphaba alone – sort of, anyway. He lay down on his back, staring at the night sky, and she made herself comfortable on his chest, shimmering emerald eyes boring into azure blue ones. 'What are you thinking?'

He sighed. 'I hate the thought of you being tortured.'

'Yero…'

'I know what you're going to say. You're strong, you can take care of yourself, you survived it. And I know you did. Knowing you, you don't even think about it anymore. But I love you, and the thought of you being in pain…' She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off. 'Now _don't _say it 'barely even hurt at all' or something like that. I know you, Fae. You'd never admit that you're in pain, but that doesn't mean I can't see it when you are.'

'I wasn't going to say that,' she said, much to his surprise. 'Because it did hurt. It hurt like hell. Only there are worse kinds of pain.' She rested her head back onto his chest and gazed at him. 'We've both been through a lot, Yero.'

'But how did you survive it?' he asked quietly. 'When Morrible was using those spells on you in the Throne Room… you looked like you were in so much pain. I bet had it been me, I would have fainted. Or at least cowered in a corner, begging her to stop. But you…' He shook his head. 'I don't know if it was _sensible_, really, but it was certainly admirable – that you kept fighting her, no matter what she did to you.'

She smiled softly, her eyes a bit distant. 'At first… before I knew you were still alive…' She faltered for a moment, then pressed on. 'I survived it because I didn't care.' She saw him flinch and she rubbed her head against his cheek for a moment. 'I know you hate to hear that, but it's true. Living without you was hell, Yero. And I really didn't care what happened to me anymore. So I started provoking them, which probably wasn't smart at all, but like I said, I lost interest.' She shrugged. 'And in the Throne Room with you… it was the exact opposite. It was _because _you were there, because I _did _care, that I held on. I never wanted you to get hurt, Yero. In any way. And I know I didn't exactly do a great job at preventing you from getting hurt in the past, but I tried. I swear I tried.'

He buried his fingers in her silky fur and kissed the top of her head. 'I know, Fae. I know. It wasn't your fault. None of it.'

She heaved a shaky sigh. 'I'm just so glad you're still alive…'

'Likewise,' he muttered, and a mirthless chuckle escaped her lips. 'We're getting far too familiar with near death experiences for my liking.'

'Tell me about it.' He felt her shiver in the cold, biting wind and pulled her closer against him. 'Everything will be okay, Fae. You and Cy will find Glinda and change you back, and I'll find my parents and make the invasion work. One way or another, we're going to have our happy ending.'

She snorted. 'Get that handsome head of yours out of the clouds, Yero. We both know I'm not born for happy endings.'

'But I am,' he told her solemnly. 'I'm a Prince, you know. I'm _supposed _to have my happy ending. So if you think you can't have yours, I'm just going to drag you into mine.'

She sighed and snuggled closer against him. 'Oz, I love you, Fiyero.'

'And I love you.' He kissed her head again. 'Now get some sleep. We'll be going on our separate ways at dawn.'

He lay down on his side and she curled up against him, a warm weight against his stomach that filled him with content and happiness and love. He knew he was right. They'd get through this, just like they'd gotten through everything, and one way or another, they'd have their happy ending.

There was no doubt in his mind at all about that.

* * *

He didn't sleep at all that night. He just lay there, watching his sleeping sister with a smile, then his sleeping almost-fiancée with an even wider smile, and then the sun peeping through the trees in the east as it slowly rose to its rightful place. He sighed. He knew he had to wake them now, that they had to get moving, but he was reluctant to do so. If he did, they'd have to go their separate ways, and he hated the mere thought of that; but at the same time, he knew he'd asked a lot of them already by pleading for them to stay with him through the night. They had to go now, or they would be of no help at all during the invasion.

He gently stroked Elphaba's back. 'Fae?' He felt a shiver go down her spine as she slowly woke, blinking her green eyes at him. She stretched her paws, tiny but incredibly sharp nails shooting out of her cushioned paws as she did so. Then she licked his cheek. 'Good morning.'

Cyara groaned and pushed herself up to a sitting position. 'Is it morning already?'

Elphaba nodded and leapt to her feet. 'We should get going. The sooner I'm human again, the better.'

Fiyero nodded reluctantly. He embraced his sister. 'Please come back safely,' he whispered in her ear, and she nodded, a smile on her face as she kissed his cheek. 'I'll try my very best,' she promised, and he let go of her and picked up Elphaba, pressing her against his chest as closely as possible without crushing her. 'Yero,' she said gently, and he loosened his grip a little, looking her in the eyes. She rubbed her head against his chest and reassuringly licked his hand. 'I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. This isn't goodbye.'

Oh, how desperately he wanted to believe her.

He sighed and nodded, then hugged her closely one more time before setting her back down on her feet. 'Okay. I'm going to find our parents,' he said, looking at Cyara. 'Good luck, you two.'

'You, too,' said Cyara, waving at him, before turning and walking in the direction of the City. Elphaba followed her; Fiyero took off in the opposite direction, where he knew the army to be camping out.

He sneaked around the tents, trying to stay out of the sight of the few soldiers that were up already, and snuck inside the biggest tent, where he knew his father must be staying. He closed the canvas behind him and turned around, only to find his wide-eyed father staring at him. The poor man pressed his hand against his heart. 'Oz, Fiyero… please don't ever do that again.'

Fiyero gave him a lopsided grin. 'Sorry, Dad.'

The King embraced his son, a bone-crushing hug that actually hurt Fiyero a little – he still had some injuries left that needed to be taken into consideration – but he let him. Hamold finally pulled back and shook his head. 'Oz, I can't believe it. Cyara was right. You _are _still alive!' His eyes were shining and Fiyero smiled. 'I am.'

'You have to tell me everything,' insisted Hamold, but Fiyero shook his head. 'Not now. Not here. I believe we have a war to fight.'

Hamold's face fell and he shook his head. 'Not yet, Yero,' he said a bit miserably. 'Miss Glinda should have had an army ready inside the City walls, but there is none and none of our own spies from the City has seen her since the Palace crumbled down yesterday. We believe she might have been taken captive.'

Fiyero's heart skipped a beat. 'What?'

Hamold sighed. 'Without help from within, we can't storm the City. They'll kill us in no time.'

Fiyero bit his lip and started pacing. 'I have to get inside, then. To save Glinda,' he said. 'We need Glinda. Without Glinda, there won't be an army inside the City to help us, and without Glinda, Elphaba won't be able to change back into her human form, which means she can't help us with her magic, which practically means that everything is lost.'

Hamold held up one hand. 'Wait a minute. Her human form? Yero? What happened to Elphaba?'

Fiyero sighed and raked his hand through his hair. 'Look, can you get Mom here, too? It will be easier if I can explain it all at once.'

Hamold nodded and sent someone to fetch his wife. Lori immediately burst into tears at the sight of her son and she smothered him with hugs and kisses to the point where he was feeling slightly embarrassed. 'Mom, really,' he said in mild exasperation. 'I'm a grown man now. You can stop crushing me.'

'I'm sorry,' she sniffled, giving him one final kiss on his forehead. 'I'm just- I'm so happy you're really still alive!'

'So, son, what happened?' asked Hamold, and Fiyero filled his parents in on everything they didn't already know: what he heard from Cyara had happened to her after the King and Queen had left the City and how his sister had ended up in the dungeons again; how he and Elphaba had escaped the Emerald City and hid out in Kiamo Ko, and how she'd changed him back; about their flight from the castle when the Gale Force came after them and their following encounter with Dorothy, how they had both ended up in the dungeons with Cyara again, what Morrible had tried to do to them, and finally what had happened before the Emerald Palace had collapsed. His parents were both slightly baffled when he was done, but they didn't waste a moment.

'So Elphaba is a cat now,' Lori said, looking at Fiyero to verify. He nodded. Hamold asked, 'And your sister is with her?'

Fiyero nodded again. 'They're looking for Glinda in the City. Fae needs the Grimmerie to change herself back.'

Hamold shook his head. 'Oh, dear,' he muttered. 'So if Glinda really is captured…'

'I need to find them,' Fiyero said simply. 'I can't leave them in there by themselves.'

'Are you crazy?' said Lori, eyes flaming. 'You'd be arrested – or worse – yourself the moment you set foot inside that city! You're a wanted criminal, Fiyero!'

'Well I can't very well _leave _them there, can I?' he snapped. Hamold put a hand on his son's shoulder. 'Son… I know how much you love Elphaba, and how protective you are of your sister. But for as far as I know, they're both smart girls and Elphaba is a powerful sorceress. Don't you think they can take care of themselves?'

Just then, there was a loud booming sound within the walls of the City that made the glasses in the tents rattle. Fiyero dashed out of the tent and stared at the sky above the City in disbelief. A large, gray cloud in the shape of a mushroom made its way up into the air. An explosion. The faint black-silver-green whirl surrounding it told him it had been Elphaba's magic causing it, but that did little to reassure him.

'No,' he said in answer to his father's question, looking to the King standing beside him, staring at the explosion cloud as well. 'I don't really think they can.'

* * *

'So where do we look?' asked Cyara as she walked into the City, the midnight black cat right by her side. Elphaba looked up at the girl. 'I think her home would be our best option, what with the Palace gone and all.'

Cyara nodded. 'Alright.'

Just then, they caught sight of a group of people in front of Morrible's mansion, screaming and shouting. 'Let her go! She's done nothing wrong!' yelled someone, and a Gale Force soldier pushed back the crowd. 'Miss Glinda has betrayed Madame Morrible and thereby the Wonderful Wizard of Oz,' he declared. 'She was trying to help the invaders take over the Emerald City. We cannot let her out of the dungeons. She is currently awaiting her punishment.'

Elphaba let out a colourful curse that sent everyone's head turning in their direction. Of course, the people assumed Cyara had uttered the curse, since there weren't any talking Cats left in the City, and the blonde girl blushed furiously. 'Sorry.'

The people turned back their head and Cyara hissed at Elphaba, 'Don't do that!'

'Glinda is held captive!' the black cat hissed back. 'How are we going to get to her now?'

Cyara shook her head. 'We should go back. Perhaps these people will get her free somehow. One way or another, we can't just go to the dungeons and break her out – it's too dangerous.'

Elphaba's eyes, however, had started to shimmer, and it only took Cyara one look to know what she was planning. 'Oh, no,' she said resolutely, shaking her head. 'No way. You're _not _breaking into the dungeons, Elphaba. Who knows what might happen if they discoverate you!'

'They won't,' Elphaba said confidently. 'They don't know I'm a cat.'

Cyara huffed and crossed her arms. 'I still don't like it.'

'Oh, that's such a cute cat you have there!' a small girl suddenly exclaimed. Cyara smirked and Elphaba tried not to feel too offended – it was only a little girl, after all. 'Can I pet her?'

'Of course you can,' said Cyara, still smirking, and Elphaba let the girl stroke her shiny fur. 'She's so soft!' the girl said in wonder. 'What's her name?'

Cyara's smirk widened. 'Kitty.'

Elphaba fought the sudden urge to scratch out someone's eyes.

'That's a pretty name,' the girl said, and Cyara smiled at her. The little girl smiled back, then ran back to her mother, and Elphaba stared daggers at Cyara. 'You are one dead Vinkun Princess.'

Cyara giggled. 'Come on, _Kitty_. Let's go.'

'To the dungeons.'

'Back to Fiyero.'

'You go back to Fiyero, then.' Elphaba raised her tail and started walking. 'I'm going to the dungeons to free Glinda.'

'You don't even know where the dungeons are! The Palace is gone, remember?'

'Southstairs is near the spot where the Palace was. I bet Morrible brought Glinda there. That's where I'm going.'

Cyara rolled her eyes. 'And here I thought Fiyero was stubborn.'

'He is. I'm just more stubborn than he is. How do you think I always get my way with him?' Elphaba smirked as she moved further towards the Palace.

Just then, however, the shouts behind them grew louder and they turned around to see what was going on. Cyara's eyes widened as she saw Morrible come out of the mansion, flanked by several Gale Force guards. 'Why is she coming out?'

'No idea,' said Elphaba, her face grim. 'But let's find out, shall we?'

They followed the fish-woman and her guards through the City, until Elphaba recognised where they were going. Southstairs. She smiled faintly. Perfect.

Cyara seemed anxious, eyes darting around continuously, and Elphaba looked up at her. 'What's wrong?'

'I just have a bad feeling about this,' the Princess said worriedly. 'Morrible holding Glinda, and now us going after her… I trust that woman about as far as I can throw her.'

Elphaba snorted. 'That makes two of us.'

They snuck after the small party into Southstairs and followed them at some distance through a few dim lit, cold hallways filled with prison cells at both sides. Most of the cells were empty, but then, Morrible suddenly stopped and Elphaba and Cyara quickly hid inside one of the empty cells, the latter pulling her black hood over her face as far as possible to prevent her blonde hair and fair skin from standing out in the darkness.

They heard Morrible talk with a sneer in her voice, but they couldn't hear what was being said; and when the woman suddenly walked back, passing the cell they were hiding in without warning, they both jumped. She didn't notice them, however, nor did the guards, and the pair waited until they were gone before they left the cell and moved over to where Morrible and the men had just been.

Elphaba drew in a sharp breath when she saw Glinda sitting in the cell – even though it was hardly a surprise – in a heap of shimmery pale pink fabric. The blonde's head shot up as she heard them approach, and she looked relieved. 'Cyara!'

The girl smiled. 'Hi, Glinda.' She took a hairpin out of the bun in which she was wearing her blonde hair and started rummaging around in the lock with it. Glinda raised her eyebrows. 'What are you…' She fell silent when the door swung open, and Cyara smirked. 'I have learned _something _in my short time with the Resistance.'

Glinda chuckled softly. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' She gestured towards cat-Elphaba. 'That's why we're here, after all. To get you out.'

Glinda only now did notice the black cat beside the Vinkun Princess and her face broke into a smile – no matter what the circumstances, she had always loved cute, fluffy animals. 'She's beautiful. Isn't she a cute little kitty?' cooed Glinda in that stupid, high-pitched voice people always use when talking to animals – or babies.

Elphaba lashed out at her friend, but with her nails drawn in, and the bubbly blonde girl quickly stepped back. 'Oh. She's a fiery little one, isn't she?' She bent forward again with a radiant smile on her face. 'Oh, don't you worry, darling, you're still adorable.'

Elphaba bristled, tail and fur rising in dismay. 'I'm going to kill you,' she declared, and Glinda jumped back, suddenly seeming extremely pale. 'El-Elphie?'

Elphaba softened a bit and smiled at her blonde friend. 'Hi, Glin.'

Glinda's eyes were wide as saucers. 'But… but how…'

'Not here,' said Cyara, eyes flicking around nervously. 'Can we get out of here first?'

Glinda nodded, looking dazzled. 'Yes. Yes, of course. Um…'

'Get out of the cell,' Elphaba suggested drily in a patient tone of voice, and Glinda swallowed. 'Yes. Of course.' She stepped out into the hallway, picked up Elphaba and hugged her close to her chest. 'You have no idea how happy I am to see you,' she confessed. Then she gestured towards the former green girl's appearance. 'Is this permanent?'

'Oz, I hope not,' said Elphaba with a shudder, 'but that depends. Do you still have the Grimmerie?'

Glinda smiled brightly, reached under her skirts and pulled out a tiny book about the size of a match box. Elphaba scowled at it. 'Um, Glin…'

Glinda chanted something and the book grew bigger and bigger, until it was the Grimmerie again. The blonde girl looked extremely smug. 'I cast a spell on it to hide it, so Morrible wouldn't find it.'

Elphaba was impressed. 'Good thinking.'

Glinda beamed at her. 'I thought so myself.' Suddenly, there was a noise and Glinda paled. 'They're coming back!'

Cyara's head whipped around to search for an exit, but there was none. 'We'll have to face them,' Elphaba said, much calmer than she felt. 'Glin, find a spell in the Grimmerie that will help us. Quickly!'

Glinda started flipping through the pages frantically, and Cyara looked around in search of a weapon. 'I wish I brought a knife,' she muttered, but Elphaba shook her head. 'A knife is no use against Morrible. Just try and stay out of her way.' She thought for a moment. 'Better even, hide in one of those empty cells.'

Cyara opened her mouth to protest, but Elphaba cut her off. 'No 'but'. I'm sorry to say this, but you're defenceless against Morrible and it would be easier for Glinda and me to fight her if we didn't have to protect you. We'll need to kill her. Things could get ugly.'

Cyara opened her mouth again, but Elphaba looked her straight in the eyes. 'Kid, I'm not going to let something happen to my future sister-in-law.'

That shut her up, and Cyara reluctantly disappeared in the darkness of one of the cells. Elphaba braced herself for what was to come, and Glinda looked up with a desperate look in her eyes. 'I can't find anything, Elphie!'

'Keep looking,' Elphaba urged her, gaze fixed on the end of the hallway, where Morrible and her guards appeared right now. The woman narrowed her eyes when she saw that Glinda was out of her cell. 'What in Oz…' She sped up, the guards right behind her, and the hair on Elphaba's back instinctively rose as she hissed at the older woman.

Morrible snorted. 'What is that cat doing here?' she demanded of no one in particular, and Elphaba's tail flicked back and forth. 'You tell me,' she said in a low voice, startling Morrible. The woman's eyes narrowed. 'You!'

Elphaba smirked. 'Miss me?'

'Catch her!' the fish-lady shrieked, and the Gale Force soldiers lunged forward to grab her. She escaped them easily and glanced over her shoulder back at Glinda. 'Glin, please hurry!'

'There's nothing in here!' the blonde cried. 'Nothing that could help us, anyway! Unless you want me to give her wings or change her into a cat as well,' she added sarcastically, and Elphaba made a face. Typical. Just when she needed the Grimmerie, the stupid book gave up on them.

'We'll have to improvise, then.' Elphaba stood up against the soldiers and Glinda joined her, both of them looking murderous. Morrible sneered. 'Oh, dearies, you can't stand up against me! Look at what I've accomplished already!' She gestured wildly. 'The Wizard is gone, and I'm the new ruler of Oz! I locked up Glinda the Good! I destroyed – or, well, I _will _destroy – the Wicked Witch of the West! I took out the Wicked Witch of the East,' Elphaba would have blanched at that, weren't it the case that she had no visible skin, 'and I will slay that entire army waiting outside _my _Emerald City – including your little lover,' she sneered at Elphaba, who bristled even more. Morrible cackled wildly, throwing her head back. 'Oz is mine!'

Elphaba was actually wondering whether the woman had gone crazy when Morrible lashed out at Glinda, madness in her eyes. The blonde shrieked and fell down onto the floor, crying out in pain, and Elphaba's vision blurred as her instincts took over and the power shot out of her, all of her magic combined into one powerful ball… a ball that exploded and brought the entire building of Southstairs down.


	14. Chapter 14 Power

**AN: **

**Eriphabottackson: a little bit of both :). The idea was already there, and then I read your review and I was like, 'yeah, I'm going to do that'. So, thank you :). For reviewing as well - I really appreciate it (that goes for all of you guys).**

**So I'm going to do just a tiny bit of self-promo here... :3 I don't normally do that, but I've started a new fic a few days ago, it's called Shadows (though I'm probably going to change the title) and it's something different from what I usually write, so I'd really like your opinion on it. If you could find the time to take a look at it and tell me what you think, I'd really appreciate it :D.**

* * *

Glinda coughed, waving her hand in the air to fan away the dust that slowly settled onto the debris of what once was Southstairs. The ceiling had come down in several places, some of the walls had shifted, and there was dust and debris everywhere. 'Oz, Elphie, you should really learn to control your temper. I mean, it was a problem back at Shiz when you still caused wheelchairs to whirl and students to go crazy, but now you're taking down _buildings_. You desperately need some anger management therapy.' She looked around, suddenly worried when she didn't see her friend anywhere. 'Elphie?'

She heard a choked noise and her head whipped in the direction where Morrible had been. The fish-woman was holding Elphaba by the scruff of the neck, grinning evilly as she pressed a knife against the cat's throat. Elphaba was struggling weakly, but there wasn't much she could do – her claws couldn't even reach Morrible's arm.

Glinda gasped. 'Let her go!'

Morrible's eyes flashed dangerously. 'You killed my men,' she hissed, and Glinda risked a glance at what had once been the Gale Force soldiers, now lying behind Morrible with mostly broken necks. 'And that's not even the point, of course,' Morrible continued. 'Even if you hadn't, there's plenty reasons for me to kill you both right now. I'm going to make little Elphaba suffer. And you, Glinda, dear, are going to helplessly watch me do it.'

Suddenly, Morrible gasped and her eyes went wide with shock. Glinda stared at the woman in horror as a long, thin object that looked suspiciously like a bar from one of the prison cells suddenly emerged from Morrible's stomach, impaling her from behind. She toppled forward, dropping Elphaba, who landed on the floor with a thump and quickly scrambled out of the way. Morrible's falling body revealed Cyara standing behind her with a grim expression on her face and Glinda gasped again. 'Did… Did you…'

Elphaba seemed speechless, and Glinda said in awe, 'You saved Elphie!'

'Next fight,' Cyara informed them, 'don't even think about hiding me somewhere to leave me out of it.'

'I'll let you join in,' said Elphaba admiringly. 'I promise. I didn't think you had it in you.'

Cyara grinned at her. 'I learned from the best. Plus,' she added disgustedly, 'I _despised _the woman.'

Elphaba replied with a smile of her own.

Glinda quickly picked up the Grimmerie as Cyara took Elphaba. 'Let's get out of here, before the entire building collapses,' she suggested, and they did just that.

* * *

The City was buzzing, the streets filled with scared and confused people, when the threesome emerged from the building again. A woman clamped Glinda's hand. 'Your Goodness!' she exclaimed, tears in her eyes with obvious relief. 'Thank Oz you're here!'

Glinda gave the woman her most dazzling smile. 'I'll make everything alright again, I promise,' she said, and the woman started crying.

'What do we do now?' asked Cyara. 'Yero and my Dad are probably waiting for help from inside the City before they start the invasion.'

'Then we need to _give _them help from inside the City,' said Glinda firmly. 'I'll take care of that. Why don't the two of you head back towards Fiyero and the Vinkun army? You'd probably be of more help there.'

'Is a fight really necessary anymore?' Elphaba spoke up suddenly. Cyara quirked an eyebrow at her. 'I thought you always enjoyed a good fight.'

Elphaba chuckled. 'I do. But not when it's unnecessary.' She looked at Glinda. 'The Wizard is gone and Morrible is dead. Can't you just take over?'

Glinda rubbed her temples, as if she could feel a headache coming up. 'Elphie… I'm not born to be a leader. I can't 'just take over'. They need someone to guide them, to help rebuild the City, to govern Oz…'

'Someone like you.'

'Right,' Glinda agreed, before Elphaba's words really sunk in. Her eyes widened. 'No, I mean, not right! Someone like _you_, Elphie!'

Elphaba snorted. 'Yes, that would be wonderful. 'Let us all cheer for our new leader, the Wicked Witch of the West!' I'm sure they'll love it.'

Glinda scowled at the cat. 'I'll clear your name.'

'No, you won't.'

'Guys!' interjected Cyara in mild exasperation. 'Come on, work with me here!' Both girls looked at the Vinkun Princess rather sheepishly, which Cyara secretly found pretty funny – given that Elphaba and Glinda were both older and far more powerful than the small blonde girl. 'Glinda, you go and take care of your people now,' Cyara ordered, sounding, and despite her torn appearance, also _looking _like the Princess she was. 'Reassure them. Tell them Morrible died when Southstairs collapsed and see how they take that news. If they want you to be their new leader, I suggest you don't contradict them.' Glinda opened her mouth to protest, but Cyara turned to face Elphaba. 'We'll take the Grimmerie with us and find a secluded place where you can change yourself back. Then we'll just stick around until Glinda figures out if we still need the army or not, and when that's clear, we can find Yero and the others to tell them whether they need to attack or retreat.'

'Can you first tell me how in Oz Elphie survived?' Glinda demanded in a high-pitched voice. 'Because the last time I saw her, she was stuck in the Palace and I thought she was going to _die_.'

'The short version?' Elphaba tilted her head a little. 'I found a page from the Grimmerie with a shape-shifting spell on it, changed myself into a cat and managed to escape mere clock-ticks before the building came down.' Elphaba looked up at her friend. 'I thought I was going to die, too. It was pure luck I didn't. Or bad luck,' she added sarcastically. 'You pick.'

'Luck,' said Glinda, hugging her cat friend. 'Definitely luck.' She heaved a shaky sigh. 'I'm really, really glad you're alive, Elphie. We'll talk later, okay?'

Elphaba nodded. 'Sure.'

Glinda handed Cyara the Grimmerie. 'Good luck.' She hesitated. 'When you're done, would you come and find me, Cyara? You're still not recognisable, but once Elphie is back to normal…'

'I'll make sure she stays hidden,' agreed Cyara. 'We don't want Ozians running around the City screaming 'Witch!', do we?'

Elphaba nodded reluctantly. 'I'll steer clear of people. I'll just sneak out of the City and wait for you in the forest, kid.'

Cyara nodded. 'Okay. Let's go.'

They each went their own way, Cyara and Elphaba heading into the back streets of the Emerald City, where there were less people and more dark alleys and abandoned houses to hide in. Suddenly, Elphaba stopped dead in her tracks, almost causing Cyara to trip over her. 'We can't leave Yero like this.'

Cyara sighed in mild exasperation. 'What now?'

'He probably saw the explosion,' said Elphaba. 'We said we'd only be gone to find Glinda and change me back, and that we'd come back immediately afterwards. He's probably worried sick by now. We need to send him a message, that we're okay.'

Cyara sighed again. 'You're right,' she admitted, knowing her brother. 'But how? It's not like we have flying Monkeys to our disposal here, and we can't very well send a messenger from the City.'

Elphaba's tail flicked back and forth in annoyance. 'I don't know,' she admitted reluctantly. 'I have no idea who we could send. I wish we had-'

'Rolin!' Cyara suddenly exclaimed, and Elphaba eyed her warily. 'What?'

'Come on!' Cyara broke into a run, and Elphaba had no other choice but to follow her, straining herself. 'Slow down! I may have four legs, but they're still a hell of a lot shorter than yours!' she complained and Cyara waited for her to catch up, then picked her up in her arms and ran further towards an abandoned-looking barn.

Cyara set Elphaba down inside and looked around. 'Master Rolin?' she whispered. 'Are you there?'

Two orange eyes opened in the dark and she smiled. 'Hello.'

She heard him shift. 'Well hello there, little girl. I was wondering what became of you.'

'I got captured,' she confessed, 'but I got out again. Long story. We need your help.' She gestured towards the cat. 'This is Elphaba.'

She could see the eyes widen. 'Elphaba? As in…'

'Yes. Elphaba, the not-so-wicked Witch of the West,' Cyara clarified. Rolin blinked a few times, fixing his gaze on Elphaba. 'It's my greatest pleasure to meet you. I thought you had perished.' He didn't ask any question about her current form, which she appreciated. It would take far too long to explain to him how it had come to pass that she was a cat now, and it wasn't relevant anyway.

'From the fact that he seems happy to see me alive, I assume he's either an Animal or a Resistance member,' Elphaba said drily to Cyara. The girl smiled again. 'Both.'

Rolin shuffled out into the light and bowed before Elphaba. 'Miss Elphaba.'

She smiled at him. 'Master Rolin.'

His gaze shifted to meet Cyara's eyes. 'You said you needed my help?'

'Could you convey a message for us to the Vinkun army waiting outside?' asked Cyara. 'To Prince Fiyero, preferably. They're camping just outside the walls of the City.'

'I could do that,' Rolin agreed, and Cyara smiled. 'Good. Tell him Elphaba, Cyara, and Glinda are all safe, but that they are unable to return at the moment. Tell him to wait until we get to them before they start an attack. Oh, and tell him Morrible is dead.'

Rolin nodded. 'I will. I will leave right away.' He bowed before Elphaba again and looked at Cyara fondly. 'I knew you had it in you, little girl.'

She blushed and he grinned at her before taking off, flying high up in the sky. Elphaba watched him for a moment, then turned her attention back towards Cyara. 'How'd you meet him?'

'My first night alone in the City after they let me out of the dungeons,' she replied. 'He's the one that got me into the Resistance. For one day, anyway.'

Elphaba smiled, then nudged the girl's leg with her nose. 'Put the Grimmerie on the floor, please. I'd like to become myself again now.'

Cyara flipped through the pages, with Elphaba scanning them and shaking her head each time. 'That's not the one.' Finally, she stopped the blonde girl. 'Wait. Go back.'

Cyara obliged, and Elphaba nodded. 'That's the spell I need.'

'Okay, so what do I do?' asked Cyara, and Elphaba looked up at her with mysterious green eyes. 'Stand back.'

She did, and Elphaba started chanting. Soon, a black-green-silver whirlwind surrounded the midnight black cat, and Cyara squeezed her eyes shut against the bright light. When she opened them again, Elphaba was standing before her, just the way she had looked before – ragged black dress, tangled black hair, chocolate brown instead of emerald green eyes, but her skin once again green like the City. She exhaled slowly. 'Oh, man, it feels good to be human again.'

Cyara hugged the green girl in a rare gesture of affection. 'Welcome back.'

To her surprise, Elphaba returned the hug. 'Thanks, kid.'

* * *

Fiyero was pacing up and down, with both his parents watching him. 'Son, you're going to wear a ditch in the floor,' his father said sternly, but Fiyero didn't even acknowledge his presence. 'They should have been back by now,' he declared, raking his fingers through his hair in a frustrated gesture. 'What if they are hurt? Or… or worse? That explosion… I should have never let them go by themselves!' he burst out, and his mother rose from her seat to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'Yero, they're both strong girls. They'll be fine,' she told him, but she could tell he didn't believe her.

Just then, there was a rustling sound outside and a guard came in. 'A Master Rolin to see Prince Fiyero.'

Fiyero waved his hand in the air angrily. 'I don't have time for that right now!'

The guard locked eyes with him. 'He says he was sent by Miss Cyara.'

Fiyero's head snapped up. 'Let him in.'

Thoughts whirled through his mind. Cyara sent this Rolin. What did that mean? Were they hurt? Did they need help? A sudden fear crept up on him and he suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe. The guard only mentioned Cyara. Did that mean that Elphaba was…

Someone entered the tent, and when Fiyero looked up, he saw an Owl standing there. Rolin bowed before him. 'Your Highness.'

'Master Rolin,' Fiyero replied, his own voice sounding strange in his ears. 'What news do you bring from my sister?'

'She wants me to tell you that she, Miss Glinda, and Miss Elphaba are all safe, but that they are unable to return to you at the moment.'

A wave of relief crushed him, but it soon turned to anxiety again. Why weren't they able to return to him? Were they held captive? Or were they hurt, but did they just not want him to know that?

'As soon as they can, they will come to you, but you need to refrain from attacking until then,' Rolin continued. 'And they wanted you to know Madame Morrible is dead.'

Fiyero couldn't help but smirk at that. 'Good.' He assumed that had something to do with the explosion, then. He looked the Owl in the eyes solemnly. 'Did you see them?'

'I saw the Princess and Miss Elphaba,' he said. 'They both looked healthy, though Miss Elphaba was in the form of a cat.'

Fiyero nodded tensely. 'Okay.' He decided not to dwell on the fact that Elphaba apparently still hadn't managed to change herself back. 'So what's going on in there?' he then asked, pointing towards the City. The Owl shook his head and rearranged his feathers. 'It's madness. I heard Miss Glinda the Good had been captured, but since Miss Cyara said that Glinda is safe, I'm inclined to believe that they helped her escape somehow. Southstairs has caved in on top of Morrible, and the entire City is going mad. I certainly hope Miss Glinda will be able to calm them down – after all, she's the only one left with some authority, what with the Wizard gone and all.'

Fiyero shook his head and Hamold looked incredulous. 'Sweet Oz, I had no idea what was happening here,' he mused. 'Should we be worried about civil war in the City?'

'I don't believe so,' said Rolin earnestly. 'It would be best to wait and see what Miss Glinda can accomplish.'

Lori laid a hand on her son's shoulder again. 'I think there's not much we can do but wait.'

* * *

Cyara went to find Glinda and Elphaba snuck out of the barn and through the back streets towards the gate. It was unguarded now – she suspected that the Gale Force didn't really know what to do anymore, with all this chaos going on – and she made it out of the City easily. She lurked in the bushes near the edge of the forest, waiting for Cyara to come and find her.

And the girl did find her, not too long after. There was a beaming smile on her face as she approached. 'Glinda's wrapped them all around her little finger,' she told the raven-haired witch smugly. 'They were shocked to hear that Morrible was dead, but they immediately practically started begging her if she would rule them until the Wizard comes back.'

'If he ever comes back.'

'Yeah.'

Elphaba smiled. 'Well, that's working out, then. So she won't need the Vinkun army?'

Cyara shook her head. 'She wants us to ask them to stay one more night, to give her time to settle everything a little, just in case; but after that, they're free to go back. No more invasion.'

'Good,' said Elphaba. 'Shall we go and find them, then?'

Cyara nodded and the two girls made their way back into the forest. They had walked a mile or so in silence before Elphaba spoke again. 'Kid? Are you okay?'

'Fine,' said Cyara, slightly surprised. 'Why?'

Elphaba paused. 'Well… About what happened…'

'You mean me killing Morrible?' Cyara sighed. 'Well… yes. I'm fine, I think. I mean, it's not like I go around killing people every day…'

'I certainly hope not.'

Cyara chuckled, then continued, '…but I mean… She completely deserved it. And if I hadn't done it, she would have killed you – and Glinda too, probably. I just acted on instinct.'

Elphaba looked at her. 'But… how do you _feel _about it?'

Cyara thought about that for a moment, then said in mild wonder, 'I think I actually am okay. Is that weird? I mean, shouldn't I feel at least a little remorse, or something?'

Elphaba laughed and shook her head. 'No, it's not weird. It's like you said – she was a wicked person. She completely deserved it. And I'm proud of you, kid. I wish you'd joined the Resistance years ago.'

Cyara grinned at her. 'Don't be so sure about that.'

They had walked another while in silence again when they suddenly heard something. Elphaba stopped dead in her tracks. 'What was that?'

Cyara tilted her head to listen. 'I don't hear it anymore.'

There it was again – a rustling of leaves.

The girls looked at each other and turned around, both of them alert and vigilant. 'Who's there?' Cyara called out in a slightly quivering voice, and just then, someone stepped from between the trees that they had _not _expected to see.

Cyara's jaw dropped. 'Your Ozness?'

Elphaba's eyes went hard and cold. 'What are _you_ doing here?'

He looked completely baffled to see her. 'El-Elphaba… B-but… I heard… Morrible…'

'I'm not dead, as you can probably see,' she said sarcastically. 'No thanks to you.'

He shook his head. 'No. No, I… When I found out, that you are my dau-'

'I am not yours in any way,' she spat, fury in her eyes, and he nodded quickly. 'I mean, that I'm your father…' He paused, as if expecting her to react, but she just quirked an eyebrow at him. 'You already knew that?'

She nodded impatiently. 'Glinda told me. Now where are you going with this? Because if you want to keep on living the rest of your sorry life, you're going to have to come up with one really, _really _good reason for me not to kill you right here and now,' she snapped.

He sighed and his shoulders slumped. 'I deserve to die. I can't blame you for wanting to kill me. But when I found out, I told Morrible to procrastinate the execution.'

That took her by surprise. 'What?'

'I wanted to figure things out first,' he explained. 'With that knowledge, so much changed… But then I heard she went through with it anyway, and I felt awful… you have no idea how guilty I felt.'

She just stared at him and he sighed again. 'I know. I don't expect you to sympathise with me.'

'Good, because I'm not going to. I'd much rather swallow my own tongue.'

He looked up and met her eyes. 'Elphaba, I must say I really, truly am sorry for what I did to you. And I know you'll probably never forgive me or even want to see me ever again, but if there is anything I can do to… to make it up to you, even just a tiny little bit…'

She bit back a sharp retort about how he'd never be able to make it up to her; instead, her mind started working immediately as if it had a will of its own. 'I want you to go back into the City,' she said finally. 'I want you to tell the Ozians that you're leaving. Make something up – tell them it's time for the Wonderful Wizard to move on to a country that needs him more, or something stupid like that, I don't care – they'll believe you no matter what you say. Either way, you're going to tell them about Morrible's treason, because I want them to know what a _wicked _person she was, and you're going to transfer power to your promising pupil Glinda the Good. Convince them. I don't care how you do it, but do it. And then you leave Oz for good.'

He nodded immediately, albeit a bit sadly. 'I will.'

'Good.' She made to turn around, but his voice stopped her. 'But what about you?'

She didn't turn. 'What about me?'

'I can clear your name,' he said quietly. 'I can make things right again.' She snorted, and he winced. 'Not really _right_, of course… I've caused you too much harm for that. But I can make it better than it is now.'

Her back was still towards him as she pondered his words for just a clock-tick, then dismissed them with a shake of her head. 'It's too late for me,' she said. 'They won't believe you. Or Glinda. And they need a common enemy. Perhaps I can keep them from turning on the Animals again.'

He seemed shocked. 'You're okay with all of Oz believing you to be a Wicked Witch?'

Now she did turn – she spun around to look at him, eyes blazing. 'Well, I didn't have much of a choice in the matter, did I?'

He winced again. 'I'm so sorry. I… I just wish you could forgive me… one day.'

She exhaled audibly, then shook her head. 'It doesn't matter anymore now, does it? It won't change anything.' She bit her lower lip. 'But I'll forgive you.'

He looked shocked. He opened his mouth to say something, but she held up one hand to cut him off. 'I'm going to forgive you, but not for you. Not because I sympathise with you or don't want you to feel bad, because honestly? I do want you to feel bad. I'm going to forgive you for myself. For me and for Fiyero. Because I don't want to end up a bitter old woman who keeps mulling over and pondering on all the harm that other people have caused her. I'm not doing that. So I'm going to forgive you for what you've done and let you go, and I'm going to try and never give a single thought to you in my life ever again.'

He sighed. 'That's only fair, I suppose. Thank you, Elphaba. I wish things would have been different.'

She met his gaze, and for the first time, there was no anger or defiance or shock or horror in her eyes. She just seemed a bit weary, but calm all the same, and he felt a sudden surge of pride for his daughter. She would never be that, she would never really be his daughter, but he and he alone was responsible for that; and despite that fact and the hurt it caused him, he was still proud of the beautiful, fierce young woman she'd become. Her voice was quiet when she spoke. 'So do I.'

He nodded and flashed her a small, sad smile. 'Goodbye, Elphaba.' She nodded curtly and he turned around and headed back towards the City.

Elphaba slumped against a tree, taking deep breaths, and Cyara shook her head in awe. 'Whoa. That was… um… intense.'

Elphaba flashed her a small grin. 'You call _that _intense? You should have seen the two of us interact before.' Cyara winced at the mention of that, knowing that the last time Elphaba and the Wizard had been in the same room, the green girl had been tortured. And the few times before that, too. 'That's not funny, Elphaba.'

Elphaba just smirked. Then she looked back at the City, a longing look on her face. 'I wish I could hear what he was saying… I don't really trust he'll do what he promised he'd do,' she confessed, and Cyara thought about it for a moment. 'Well… why don't we go back, then?' she suggested. 'Yero can wait. Rolin is with him. And you're right – if the Wizard messes this up, the Ozians might turn against Glinda, or worse… I don't think we can take that risk.'

Elphaba bit her lip. 'But I don't really want to keep him waiting any longer… Knowing him, he's probably going to wear a ditch in the floor until he sees us alive again.'

'Then I'll go into the City,' offered Cyara, 'and you'll go back to Yero. I'll tell you what the Wizard said afterwards.'

Elphaba shook her head. 'I _have _to go into the City myself. If he really does try something, I might need my magic to save Glinda. I can't take a risk with him, and she's my best friend… no offense, you've proven that you're a fighter, but if he attacks her, you won't be able to help her.'

Cyara nodded slowly. 'Then we'll both go. Yero will have to be patient.'

'No, I can't do that to him.' She looked at Cyara. 'You go to him. I'll go to the City.'

'But your skin…'

'I'll cover it up.'

'What if they recognise you?'

'I can take care of myself.'

'But what about-'

'Just go already, will you?' Elphaba said in mild exasperation. 'Go to Yero. Tell him I'm fine. If everything goes the way it's supposed to, I'll be back before dusk. If there's complications, it'll take me longer; but if I'm still not back by tomorrow morning, tell the army to attack.'

Cyara's eyes widened. 'But…'

'If I'm not back by tomorrow morning,' Elphaba said firmly, 'it means something's gone really, really wrong – most likely that the Wizard tried to take back power himself. If that's the case, we're going to need the army. Promise me you'll do just that.'

The younger girl sighed and grumbled, then said reluctantly, 'I promise.'

'Good.' Elphaba smiled and turned around to walk away, then changed her mind and called over her shoulder, 'Oh, and Cyara? Tell Fiyero I'll change him back into a Scarecrow if he comes after me.'

Cyara grimaced, knowing her brother was _very _likely to hurry to the City himself if he heard about Elphaba going back there. 'He knows you'd never do that.'

Elphaba flashed her a wicked grin. 'Maybe not,' she said, turning around again. 'But is he willing to take the risk?'

Cyara opened and closed her mouth a few times, no sound coming out, and Elphaba cackled before disappearing between the trees.


	15. Chapter 15 Mending

**AN: Sorry for the delay! I was debating whether I'd have Elphie's name cleared by the Wizard and Glinda, or not... and I couldn't really decide. I did now, though.**

**Elphaba-WWW: O.o that is really, _really _disturbing... I already thought _this _was disturbing :P. But, well, I just really hate Morrible. And since I last killed her with magic, I decided to go with something... um... different... this time :P. And thank you so much! That really is a huge compliment to me :).**

**Eriphabottackson: You'll find out if you read on ^_^.**

**LunaSibuna: Thank you so much! That means a lot to me :). And you're right about Glinda! I was reading back, and I wrote much more of her in the beginning. I'm going to try and come up with something interesting to give her a few chapters of her own - she deserves that much.**

**Guest: Thank you so much! :D**

**Musicalvampirelove: Here you go ;).**

* * *

**Chapter 15. Mending**

'She did _what_?!'

Cyara recoiled. 'Hey, don't yell at _me_! I can't help it she took off!'

'You could have stopped her!'

'I tried!' Cyara scowled at her brother. 'But you and I both know she was right.'

Fiyero exhaled slowly and pulled at his hair. 'When will she be back?'

Cyara hesitated – she _really _didn't want to tell him about the instructions Elphaba had given her in case the witch wouldn't be able to make it back in time. 'If everything goes the way it's supposed to, she'll be back by nightfall,' she finally said.

The Vinkun Prince didn't buy that, however. 'And if it doesn't go the way it's supposed to?'

She hesitated again. 'If she's not back by tomorrow morning, she wants the army to attack.'

Fiyero threw his hands up in the air and started pacing again. 'Great. Just great. Why is she so incredibly stubborn and headstrong? Why can't she just _listen _for once?'

Hamold snorted a laugh. 'That's the same thing I always wondered about you.'

Fiyero glared at his father before slumping down into a chair. 'What do we do now?'

'We wait again,' said Lori, who had one arm around her daughter's shoulders. She sighed and hugged Cyara again. 'I'm so glad to have you both back safely. I hope Elphaba and Glinda can end this without too much bloodshed.'

'Bloodshed,' Fiyero repeated faintly, the colour draining from his pained face, and Lori looked sheepish. 'I'm sorry, Yero, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure she'll be fine.'

'At least tell me she's human again,' he begged his little sister, and she nodded. 'She is.'

'Okay. Good.' He started pacing again. 'I can't believe the fate of Oz is in the hands of the _Wizard _now.'

'Wasn't it always?' asked Cyara pointedly, and Fiyero stopped his pacing to stare at his younger sister for a while. 'When did you become so smart?' he asked in awe, and Cyara grinned at him. 'Well, we can't have _two _brainless royals in the family,' she teased him. 'It would damage our reputation.'

He stuck out his tongue. Then he sighed and sat down again. 'Well, since we're going to wait anyway, you might as well tell me how things went with Glinda.'

'She was locked up in Southstairs,' his sister told him matter-of-factly. 'Elphaba and I went to free her. Morrible was there and she threatened Glinda, and Elphaba got mad and made Southstairs cave in. In the chaos, Morrible had somehow gotten a hold of Elphaba and she was going to kill her, so I impaled her. Morrible, obviously, not Elphaba,' she added.

Fiyero gaped at his sister and his parents didn't look much different, both of them white as a sheet. 'You did _what_?'

Cyara shuffled around a little. 'I had to,' she said in a small voice. 'She wanted to kill Elphaba…'

In two strides, Fiyero was next to her, wrapping her in his arms and hugging her tightly. 'Have I told you how much I love you lately?'

She giggled. 'So you feel the need to tell that you loved me after I tell you I killed someone?'

'After you tell me you saved the girl I love,' he corrected her, and she nodded slowly. 'Okay. That makes more sense.'

'I'm proud of you, Cy,' her brother told her solemnly. 'Really, I am.'

She hugged him once more. 'Thanks, Yero.'

Then she pulled back and looked at her parents, slightly anxious. 'Are you mad at me?'

Lori let out a breath and also hugged her daughter. 'Of course not, honey,' she said, stroking back Cyara's blonde hair. 'I mean… I could have lived with you never killing anyone in your life, but… but this wasn't exactly a choice. It had to be done, right?'

'Right,' agreed Hamold. 'And your mother and I, too, are very proud of you, Cyara.'

She flashed him a relieved smile. 'Thanks, Dad.'

* * *

With the Emerald Palace gone, Glinda had retreated to her own mansion with a huge balcony in the front that served just perfectly to address the crowd. To her utter relief, they'd started cheering for her right after the shock of Morrible's death had worn off, and they accepted her easily as their new leader. Now, however, she was staring at the man in front of her, not really believing what she was seeing.

'Your Ozness,' she said finally, acknowledging him, and he nodded. 'Yes.'

'Just as I hoped to never see you again.'

He sighed, but didn't seem too offended. 'I messed up, Glinda, I know that. But you must know… finding out that Elphaba is my daughter… it changed everything.' He looked at the blonde solemnly. 'I met her and that little Tiggular girl in the forest earlier.'

Now she looked up, faintly alarmed. 'What?'

He smiled at her a bit sadly. 'Don't worry, I didn't hurt them. Like I said, everything's changed now…' He got a distant look in his eyes. 'I'm only here to make an announcement. To tell the people that I will leave and never come back, and that I'm transferring power over to you.'

She was genuinely shocked. Though she had seen that had really had been affected by the news that Elphaba was his own daughter, she hadn't really expected this change of heart. She eyed him rather warily. 'Why?'

'Elphaba asked me to,' he said simply, and Glinda couldn't help but imagine what kind of death threat her friend had imposed upon the Wizard to make him agree to this. As if he was reading her mind, he added, 'I didn't need much convincing, you know. I'm tired of this, of Oz… I'm just going to go home now.'

'How are you going to talk to the people?' she asked. 'Your oh so wonderful mechanical head was destroyed when the Palace came down.' She couldn't keep a note of sarcasm from her voice and he shook his head. 'I don't know yet…'

He seemed at loss, and she rolled her eyes at him before taking matters into her own hands. She quickly fetched the Grimmerie, which Cyara had returned to her after Elphaba had used it to change herself back, and started flipping through the pages until she found a spell that satisfied her. She cast it upon the unsuspecting Wizard and suddenly, he seemed to be hovering a few inches above the floor, his appearance fading until he was just a dark form, surrounded by lots and lots of mist whirling around him. All in all, she thought it looked rather impressive and she smiled innocently at him. 'Do you suppose this is mysterious and spectacular enough for the Wonderful Wizard of Oz?'

'This will work,' agreed the Wizard, and she sniffed. 'Let's go, then.' She brightly made her way out onto the balcony, addressing the crowd of people still gathered outside her house.

'Fellow Ozians!' she called in a bright, bubbly voice. 'It is my pleasure and honour to tell you that our Wonderful Wizard has returned!'

Cheers erupted from the crowd below. She smiled as she continued. 'Please welcome our rightful ruler!' she announced, nearly choking on those words, but spitting them out nonetheless.

The Wizard appeared in his foggy, dark mystery, which clearly impressed the Ozians, and started his speech. Meanwhile, Glinda's eyes scanned the crowd. She smiled almost imperceptibly when she noticed a dark-cloaked figure among the Ozians. The figure looked up and flashed her a grin, and Glinda shook her head in faint exasperation. Why did Elphie have to come here? She was endangering herself!

But when she looked at the Wizard, she understood. _Probably to make sure he says what she wants him to say._

And he did, to their relief. He told the Ozians earnestly about Morrible – that he had discovered her to be a traitor, which sent ripples of excited murmurs through the crowd. He finished by saying that he had done what he could for them, but that it was time for him to move on to other lands and worlds, and that he would leave matters 'in the very capable and graceful hands of Lady Glinda the Good', an overdramatic announcement that made her snort softly, but she stepped forward with a beaming smile nonetheless. 'Thank you, your Ozness,' she flattered, batting her eyelashes at him, but he wasn't done yet.

'When I found out about Madame Morrible,' he said solemnly, letting his gaze drift over the people, 'I found out something else as well. Dear people, I, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, have been tricked by that horrendible witch.'

The people seemed shocked, and Glinda could see Elphaba tense. Her own heart was pounding in her chest as well. This wasn't part of the plan, was it? Judging by the way Elphaba reacted to this, it wasn't. What if he was about to try something? Her grip around her wand tightened – though the thing would barely do her any good, should she really be in danger.

'She has been lying to me about a very important matter all along,' the Wizard continued. 'And only fairly recently did I discover the truth. Dear Ozians… the Wicked Witch is not really wicked.'

Elphaba's eyes widened and Glinda couldn't suppress a radiant smile – a genuine one this time. _She _had promised she wouldn't clear Elphaba's name… but this wouldn't really be _her _clearing her friend's name, now would it?

The Wizard then proceeded by providing the people with a slightly adapted version of the truth – a version in which everything was blamed on Morrible tricking everyone. 'In reality,' the Wizard proclaimed, 'the Wicked Witch of the West is called Elphaba Thropp, and she is my daughter.'

It was as if he had dropped a bomb. The Ozians started twittering and calling out to one another, all at the same time, and when Glinda searched for her friend among the people again, she found Elphaba to be gone. She was worried at that – where had she gone? – but just then, the Wizard was yanked back into the room, away from the balcony, and Glinda turned around to find Elphaba there, fuming.

'What do you think you're doing?' she hissed. The Wizard just blinked at her. 'Clearing your name.'

Glinda giggled, then hugged her friend. 'Oh, Elphie… You can't really expect us not to, can you? I'm going to rule Oz now, everything will be different from now on… and I don't want to lose you again,' she added in a quivering voice, widening her eyes and pouting slightly, knowing her friend couldn't say no to her when she did that.

Sure enough, Elphaba calmed down a little. She sighed and ran her fingers through her long raven hair. 'Glin… What if they turn against you two?'

'They won't,' said Glinda confidently. 'Elphie, now that everything looks like it'll be alright, I won't let you go again. I won't allow you to go into hiding. You're going to be popular, just like me,' she sang out, and Elphaba made a pained face.

The Wizard, meanwhile, stepped back out to calm down the Ozians, and Glinda's face brightened as she quickly pulled off Elphaba's cloak and grabbed her friend's arm. Dragging her out onto the balcony, she announced in a perky and bubbly voice, 'Fellow Ozians, please meet my dear friend and the Wizard's daughter, Elphaba Thropp!'

Elphaba froze, not having expected this at all, and Glinda nudged her side. The green girl blinked and curtsied then, and the Ozians fell silent, staring up at her. Then, slowly, one of them started clapping; another followed, and another, and before they knew it, the entire crowd in front of Glinda's mansion was applauding for her. For _her_, the Wicked Witch of the West. Her mind was reeling.

Glinda beamed at the people. 'You see?' she gushed at them. 'Elphie is a _lovely _person!'

Elphaba seemed completely overwhelmed by it all, a small smile gracing her lips as she drank it all in. Glinda watched her with a smile of her own, exchanging a meaningful glance with the Wizard. He seemed a little sad, but he was smiling, too. 'Oz is in good hands, Glinda,' he said to her, and she huffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. 'It is now, yes.'

He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at that and she laughed, too. Her laugh quickly died away, however, when she discoverated someone among the people. Someone she _really _didn't want to see.

'Boq?' she breathed, and Elphaba turned her head to look at her. 'Glin? Did you say something?'

The blonde watched in horror as the Tinman pulled out a gun and pointed it at her best friend. 'Die, witch!' he snarled, causing everyone to fall silent. Elphaba's eyes widened as she saw him, but it was too late for her to do anything by then. Glinda, however, was quick to react, and with an ear-piercing, high-pitched 'No! Elphie!', she flung herself at the green girl, pushing her out of the way.

Boq fired. The sound of a gunshot echoed through the City.

And Glinda fell down in a heap of pink fabric and blood.

* * *

'Fiyero, stop!' Cyara cried out, panting as she was running after him. 'She'll kill you and so will I! Can't you just _think _for once?'

'That was an Oz-forsaken _gunshot_!' he yelled back, never slowing down. He had insisted on going inside the City, following the excited buzz of the crowd to Glinda's manor. He had hidden nearby, Cyara naturally following him – she wasn't going to leave her stupid brother all by himself. When he had heard the gunshot, however, he'd gone completely crazy, and now he was dashing around the corner to get to the front of the mansion. He had clearly lost every bit of common sense he had in him – if there was any common sense there to begin with – at the mere thought of Elphaba being in danger, or hurt… or worse.

When they reached the crowd before Glinda's mansion, it became clear that no one was sure what had just happened. 'That Tinman shot at the Wizard!' some people whispered, but they were soon overcome by other voices. 'No, no! He didn't aim for the Wizard, he aimed for the Witch – for Elphaba!'

Fiyero froze and Cyara bumped into him. 'Yero!'

'Boq shot Elphaba,' he said incredulously, and she rolled her eyes and moved to stand in front of him, locking eyes with him. 'Fiyero. They said he was _aiming _for Elphaba. They didn't say he actually hit her.'

'I have to get to her,' he insisted, and Cyara let him go with a sigh. Suddenly, the door of the mansion opened and Glinda came dashing out of it, looking positively murderous. She caught sight of Boq trying to hide between the people and she lunged herself at him. 'You tried to murder Elphie!' she screeched, and the Tinman's eyes went wide with shock. 'Glinda… You're bleeding!'

'Yes, because you shot _me_!' she squawked in his face, and he looked stunned. 'I- I'm sorry, Glinda… I never meant to hurt _you_…'

'And you killing my best friend wouldn't have hurt me?' she yelled at him. 'I hate you!' she then spat in his face. 'Back at Shiz, you were annoying, but you wouldn't harm a fly. You were kind of… endearing.' She wrinkled her nose. 'How did you get so bitter?' she demanded. 'You're so hateful and pessimistic and bitter and _wicked_ – I can't even stand to look at you right now! I hate you, Boq! I hate you!'

A flash of black and green came running from the mansion, and Fiyero's knees almost buckled with relief as he recognised Elphaba. 'Glin, stop it!' she said sternly, fingers closing around her friend's arm. 'Let me take care of that bullet wound.'

Glinda, however, was fuming. 'But he…'

'He's not worth it, Glin,' said Elphaba, gingerly hugging her friend. 'He's not worth it.'

Glinda exhaled slowly and nodded. 'Guards!'

The Gale Force gathered around them, and Glinda jabbed a finger in Boq's chest. 'Take him away.'

The guards faltered for a moment. 'Where to, Lady Glinda?' one of them finally asked uncertainly. 'I mean, the dungeons of the Palace are down, and so is Southstairs…'

'Just find him another prison cell!' she barked, and the Gale Force nodded and took him with them. Glinda was still trembling with anger as Elphaba led her away, back to the mansion.

Just then, however, the dark-haired witch caught sight of Fiyero, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. '_What _are you doing here?'

He shuffled around. 'Making sure you were okay?' he tried, but her eyes flashed dangerously as she grabbed his arm with her other hand and dragged him inside. Cyara followed them.

She planted the Prince on a chair unceremoniously. 'If you so much as _move_, you'll regret it,' she hissed at him before tenderly leading Glinda back to her bedroom, where the Wizard was waiting. Cyara stuck out her tongue at her brother before following the girls upstairs. 'Can I help?'

Elphaba looked up. 'Could you find me some first aid stuff?' she asked, and Cyara nodded. 'Sure.'

The green girl grinned at her bubbly blonde friend. 'You looked ready to kill him.'

Glinda looked murderous all over again. 'I _was _ready to kill him,' she declared hotly. 'He tried to _kill _you, Elphie!'

'I know,' her friend said, hugging her again. 'But I'm okay, and so are you, thank Oz. Thank you, Glin. You saved my life.'

The blonde smiled at her, tears in her eyes. 'You're welcome, Elphie.' Cyara returned with some medical supplies and Glinda hissed as Elphaba gingerly started cleaning her bullet wound – luckily, the bullet had only grazed her upper arm, so it wasn't a _hole_ exactly. 'That _hurts_, Elphie,' she complained.

'I know. But it has to happen,' said Elphaba soothingly. 'You don't want an infection, now do you?' As she continued to tend to Glinda's wound, she looked up at Cyara. 'Why did you and Fiyero come here exactly?' she demanded, exasperated.

Cyara held up her hands in innocence. 'Hey, I didn't do anything. He insisted on coming, and when he heard the gunshot, I couldn't hold him back anymore. I only came with him to prevent him from getting into trouble.'

Glinda suddenly rose to her feet. 'I have to get out there and tell the people I'm alright,' she stated. 'The Wizard and I have to finish our announcement.'

Elphaba looked up at her friend in exasperation. 'I wasn't finished with your wound yet, Glinda.'

The blonde sighed and sat back down. 'Finish it, then, but after that, we have to get back outside.'

'I'll go right now, to reassure them,' the Wizard promised, heading back towards the balcony. Elphaba finished cleaning the bullet wound and bandaged it. 'There you go.'

'Thanks, Elphie,' Glinda said perkily, and her friend smiled at her. 'No, thank _you_. You've been amazing, Glin. You _are _amazing. Throughout everything. I think you're the only one of us who has never broken down or given up, with everything that happened.'

'Oh, believe me, I broke down,' Glinda assured her with a relieved giggle. She hugged her friend. 'I'm just so glad everything turned out alright, Elphie. We're all going to be fine now, and live happily ever after!' With that, she skipped towards the balcony again.

Elphaba, meanwhile, made her way downstairs, Cyara on her heels, where she stopped in front of Fiyero. He was still obediently sitting on the chair, face buried in his hands, but he looked up and rose to his feet when he saw the girls approach. 'Fae…'

'You're going to have some explaining to do,' Cyara told him smugly, and he made a face at his sister, who giggled. Elphaba crossed her arms and started tapping her foot and he winced. That was _not _a good sign.

'Fae,' he tried, 'I know you said not to come after you, but I just needed to know if you were okay! You couldn't just expect me to…' He stopped when a tiny gray raincloud appeared just above his head. He eyed the thing warily. 'What…' He looked at Elphaba and as he realised what she was doing, exclaimed in slight exasperation, 'Oh, Fae, come on!'

She arched an eyebrow at him. Rain started pouring down from the cloud, right on Fiyero's head. He tried to move away from it, but the cloud followed him wherever he went.

Cyara giggled. 'Now that's what I call a concentrated shower.'

He glared at her before directing his attention back to the raven-haired witch and complaining, 'Elphaba, don't you think you're being just a bit childish right now?'

In response, a tiny flash of lightning divided the now almost black cloud in two and a soft rumble of thunder was audible above his head. He sighed as the rain from the cloud slowly soaked him completely. 'Alright, I guess I deserve this.'

'Oh, you most certainly do,' agreed Elphaba, not pulling a muscle. He looked at her pleadingly. 'Fae… I _love _you. I lost you too many times already – or thought I did, anyway. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing when I knew you could be in danger!'

The rain stopped. He took that as a good sign.

Finally, she sighed and gave in. 'I know. I _know _you only did it because you wanted to protect me, but Yero, I can protect myself. I can't stand the thought of you endangering yourself for me. Not again.'

'I guess this is something we'll never agree on,' he said, and she sighed again. 'Probably.'

'Does that mean I'm forgiven?' he asked hopefully. She laughed and, despite the fact that he was completely drenched, wrapped her arms around him. 'I could never stay angry with you for long,' she admitted, and he grinned and kissed her softly. 'I'm glad.'

'Elphaba?' Neither of them had noticed Cyara slipping away in the middle of their conversation, but now the blonde girl came dashing down the stairs. Slightly out of breath, she informed them, 'Glinda wants you out there again, Elphaba. And Fiyero too. Boq is in prison now and the other Ozians seem to be on our side, so she wants the entire truth to be out in the open now.'

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a look. 'I'm not sure that's a good idea,' Fiyero began worriedly, figuring that last time Elphaba stood on that balcony, Boq had tried to shoot her, but Elphaba would hear none of it. 'Tell Glinda we'll be there in a minute,' she asked Cyara, glancing a bit sheepishly in Fiyero's direction as his dripping hair and clothes formed tiny puddles on the carpet.

'And please ask her if she by any means could spare us a towel?'

* * *

**I was originally intending to end this chapter with a cliffie - Glinda getting shot - but I couldn't really think of much to stuff in between to make the chapter longer, and I figured I'm already Queen of Cliffies anyway, so I decided to humour you guys just this once :3.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated! :D**


	16. Chapter 16 Aftermath

**AN: WILLEMIJN VERKAIK COMES TO LONDON! No one is more thrillified than I am right now. I'm só going to see her. I have to. I NEED to. AAAAAAH.**

**Okay, now that I'm sane again - sort of... here's the next chapter :3. Glad you liked the last one! **

**xXStefyXx: I wish I could tell you I came up with that myself, but no. I watched Beautiful Creatures :3.**

**For those of you who might be worried that everyone is going to have a happy ending now and I'm going to end this story... WRONG. I love this one way too much :D. So, more drama starting at the end of this chapter - and a CLIFFIE. YAY.**

**Also, I decided to give Glinda a man - he'll appear every now and then from now on. I felt bad for neglecting her and I figured she could use some happiness... so Athul, if you're reading this: your PM was by far the most amazifying, sweet and wonderful message I've ever received in my LIFE. I don't really know you, so I couldn't go with personality, but I did put you in the story - consider it a thank you! :)**

* * *

'Fellow Ozians,' Glinda said with a beaming smile. Said fellow Ozians, however, were all talking at the same time, twittering and chattering on about their new leader being shot, and they didn't even notice her, let alone hear her. She raised her voice. 'Fellow Ozians!'

Still no answer.

She took a deep breath, then pretty much screeched, 'FELLOW OZIANS!'

This time, their heads all snapped in her direction.

She smiled sweetly at them. 'Thank you. As you can see, I am perfectly alright. The bullet only grazed my arm and there is no lasting damage done.'

They seemed relieved, but wary at the same time. 'Glinda?' a woman asked. 'That bullet was meant for the Wit- Elphaba,' she quickly corrected herself at Glinda's death glare. 'Why did _you_ catch it?'

Glinda looked at her as if she were crazy. 'To save my best friend, of course,' she said simply, which sent another buzz through the crowd. She sighed. 'People of Oz… I _knew _that Elphie wasn't wicked. I knew all along. We were best friends back at university and we've always been friends ever since. Only no one believed me. The people didn't believe me…'

'And neither did I,' the Wizard suddenly chimed in, startling the bubbly blonde. He was still floating, a shadow in a cloud of mist, as he looked at his people. 'Lady Glinda was the only one smart enough to know the truth, despite Morrible's deceit, and I didn't believe her. I am very sorry for that, but it only proves to me what I already knew deep down inside: that she is going to be a wonderful ruler.'

Another eruption of chattering. 'But Glinda,' a man called up. 'You could have been _killed_ by that bullet!'

Glinda straightened her back and raised her chin. 'I know I could have. But I would do it again in a heartbeat.'

That was apparently convincing, because now they were all staring at her in awe. She smiled at them. 'Let me tell you another story.'

She then told the people about Fiyero, and what had _really _happened, and they all listened to her in silence. Her eyes were shining as she took in their faces. Finally, she was making good. _Real_ good. Perhaps now she would actually _deserve _her title of Glinda the Good.

She had felt so helpless in the past years, and she had been angry with herself. She regretted so much, she had made so much mistakes… But Elphie and Fiyero had forgiven her, just like she had forgiven them. Because that was what friends do. They forgive each other. And in the end, it had made them all stronger.

Now, however, she could make things right again. No more near death experiences for any of them – or so she hoped. No more wondering where Elphaba was and if she was safe. No more hiding, no more running, no more capturing and torturing. As Oz's new ruler, she would make sure of that… and as a friend, she would make sure Elphie would be by her side from now on.

When she finished, there was silence for a while. 'So… You're telling us Prince Fiyero is still alive?' a man asked curiously. 'And that he really is in love with… Elphaba?'

Glinda caught his faint hesitation, but didn't call him on it – at least he had stopped himself before the word 'witch' had slipped him. She nodded. 'Yes.'

'And you're okay with that?' a woman wanted to know, and Glinda smiled at her almost sympathetically. How little some of these people knew about real friendship, and true love.. She tried not to think about the fact that only a few months ago, _she _was one of the people who had known so little about real friendship and true love. She had definitely _not _been okay with her fiancé and best friend taking off together – even though, if she looked closely, she could have seen how much they loved each other. Oh yes, she had changed – a lot. They had all changed.

'Yes,' she said softly in answer to the question. 'Yes, I am. You see,' she conjured her bubble around her and floated down, to get closer to the people in an attempt to win them over, 'I never truly loved Fiyero,' she said, her cobalt blue eyes unreadable. 'I only thought I did. He was perfect, I was perfect… so we must be perfect together. I realised how wrong I was when I saw him with Elphie later. I had never loved him, and he had never loved me. He loved someone else, and you should know… The love I then saw, the love between Elphaba and Fiyero… is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,' she said sincerely. 'It's so strong, so powerful… I've never had that, but I hope I will, one day. And I want my closest friends to have that, too. With each other. They make each other so happy…'

The crowd had fallen silent at her quiet musings – it was clear that Glinda was more talking to herself than to the people now. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it and smiled at the people. 'Let's bring them out, shall we?' she asked, floating up to the balcony again. Cyara poked her head out from inside the house. 'They'll be right there.'

'Why not right now?' hissed Glinda, and Cyara gave her a mischievous grin. 'They need a towel.'

Glinda's brow furrowed, but she said, 'In the wardrobe in my bedroom,' and the younger girl nodded and disappeared. Glinda decided she probably didn't even want to know what this was about.

Not much later, Elphaba and Fiyero both appeared – did Fiyero's hair and clothes seem… wet? She decided she indeed didn't want to know - and Glinda ushered them out onto the balcony. She noticed how pale her friend was looking and leaned over. 'Nervous, Elphie? I thought you never got nervous about anything,' she teased, and Elphaba glared at her. 'I would rather take fifty exams back at Shiz than be out here in public,' she said through clenched teeth, and Glinda giggled. 'Oh, Elphie. You're so weird.' She felt ten tons lighter now. Everything would be okay, she knew it would.

She gave the Ozians the opportunity to ask questions, and they did – for two hours. They seemed to want to know everything – details about what had happened, things about the Flying Monkeys, whether Elphaba really was a witch or not – Glinda was careful in confirming that one, but did it nonetheless: 'Yes, Elphie and I are both witches – _good_ witches!' she added with a death glare. 'Only Elphie is _way _more talented than I am!'

It took them a long time, but finally, the Ozians seemed satisfied. Glinda didn't expect them to feel at ease around Elphaba, or trust her, but she didn't need them to. Not yet, anyway. They would all have to prove themselves to the people first – Glinda as a leader, Elphaba as not being wicked – but it would be worth it in the end.

Finally, with a last announcement that the Wizard would depart in the morning, they retreated inside the manor. Glinda let herself fall down in a chair rather unladylike and fanned her face with her hand. 'Phew. Thank Oz that's over.'

'You could say that,' agreed Elphaba wearily. She made a hand gesture and the Wizard returned to his normal state – both feet on the ground and not a thread of mist to be seen.

Fiyero stood behind the dark-haired witch, rubbing her shoulders. The Wizard just shuffled uncomfortably. 'So… I suppose I'll go get my balloon ready now?'

'I suppose so,' said Elphaba, quirking an eyebrow at him, and Glinda flashed her friend a faintly annoyed look. 'Elphie! He may have tried to kill you, but you can still thank him!'

Now Elphaba quirked an eyebrow at _her_, and only then did she realise how stupid that sounded. She giggled. 'Okay, okay. Never mind. But still,' she told the Wizard. 'Thank you for what you did today. '

He just shrugged. 'It was the right thing to do.'

Glinda could tell that Elphaba was trying her hardest to suppress a sarcastic comment and she grinned, for such a comment was on the tip of her own tongue as well. The Wizard, doing the right thing… it sounded like a joke. Yet she managed to keep a straight face and nodded. 'Alright then. Goodbye, your Ozness. Have a safe trip back.'

'Or not,' muttered Elphaba under her breath, and Glinda whacked her friend's arm, but the Wizard hadn't heard her anyway. 'Goodbye.' He lingered, looking at Elphaba, but she didn't meet his gaze. With a final sigh, he left.

'We should leave, too,' Fiyero said. 'My parents will be worried.'

'Everyone is worried these days,' Elphaba muttered, and Glinda whacked her arm again. 'That's because we _care_, Elphie.'

'I know. But still.'

Glinda rolled her eyes, then noticed Fiyero looking at her with an amused expression on his face. She scoffed. 'What?'

His grin broadened. 'Just that the two of you are _really _rubbing off on one another.'

They both raised an eyebrow and Fiyero laughed. 'Just look at you two. Fae – never in my life have I seen you bite back a sarcastic remark, just because you want to be polite or you don't want to hurt someone's feelings. And Glinda… I don't think I've ever seen your roll your eyes _at all _before you spent some time with Elphaba, and now you just can't seem to stop.'

The girls shared a sheepish look. Then Glinda squealed. 'Does that mean that if we keep hanging around one another long enough, my fashion sense will finallyrub off on her as well?'

Fiyero stifled a laugh and Elphaba rolled her eyes. 'Don't count on it, Glin. Dream on.'

'Oh, I will,' the blonde assured her cheerfully, before leaping to her feet. 'Oh! Elphie, I don't want you to go yet! I want you to meet someone first!' she said, beaming, and Elphaba narrowed her eyes suspiciously. 'Glin?'

The blonde giggled. She felt like dancing right now – just the mere thought of the person she wanted Elphaba to meet made her feel like dancing. It must be visible on her face, because Elphaba's eyes widened. 'Oh my Oz. You're in love.'

Glinda giggled again. 'Is it that obvious?' She bounced up and down, much like she used to do in her Galinda days – her poofy pink dress bounced up and down with her and her tiara slowly started shifting, making its way down the side of her head, only to get stuck in her curls, but she didn't even notice it. 'Oh, Elphie – so much has happened,' she tried to explain, 'and after last time… You know, with you and Fiyero in the dungeons… I just felt helpless,' she confessed. 'And I needed someone, to… to confide in, to talk to, I don't know… So I was in my room one day and Athul came in – I've kind of known him for a longer time, he was the second son of the Duke of the Glikkus and he visited us a few times with his father on business trips, back when I still lived at home with Momsie and Popsicle. He was staying at the Palace because of some political issues he had to discuss with Morrible… Ugh.' The blonde shuddered at the thought of the old hag. 'Anyway, one day he came into my room, and he just looked at me, and he asked in this very sympathetic voice, 'Are you okay?' and then I just broke down. I think I scared the living daylights out of him by just crumbling down and wrapping my arms around him and crying into his shoulder, but he didn't complain once… and after that, we just slowly grew closer together.' Her voice lowered to a whisper. 'I think I might kind of love him.'

'You think?' repeated Elphaba, one eyebrow arched, and Glinda giggled again. 'Oh, okay – I _know _I kind of love him. He really helped me then, and… and just now, outside? I saw him again – he was among the people – and he really seemed to believe what the Wizard and I told everyone. And he was smiling at me. And he looked proud, I think – could he have looked proud? Would that mean he's proud of me? Oh my _Oz_, I'm in love!' she said in wonder, making Elphaba, Fiyero, and Cyara all laugh.

'Anyway, we're taking things slow,' the blonde continued, 'because, well, neither of us wants to rush into things. Oz, we haven't even _kissed _yet!' She shook her head incredulously, and Elphaba gaped at her in mock shock. 'Glinda Upland of the _Upper _Uplands has fallen in love with a guy and she _still _hasn't kissed him? Oh, my.'

'Who are you and what have you done with Glinda?' Fiyero asked with a chuckle, and Glinda stuck out her tongue at both of them. 'Yes, laugh about it all you want, but it's true. Even _blondes _grow up eventually.' A dreamy smile graced her face, but then she shook her head. 'Okay, here's what we'll do. Elphie, Fifi, you go to the King and Queen and tell them the invasion really is off right now.'

Cyara leaned towards her brother, grinning wickedly. 'Did she just call you 'Fifi'?'

Fiyero grumbled. 'Shut up.'

'In the meantime, I'll go find Athul,' Glinda continued, 'so that you can meet him, and you guys can spend the night here, okay? You know, we could have dinner,' she glanced at the time – half past ten – and added, 'very _late _dinner, and you could all stay over…'

'Fine with me,' said Cyara, making herself comfortable in an arm chair, and Fiyero chuckled. 'Sure. I'll just go and reassure my parents, then,' he said, rising to his feet. Elphaba made to follow him, but he gently pushed her back down in her chair. 'Not you. Get some rest, Fae. You need it. You've been through so much the past days-'

'So have you,' she interrupted, but he shook his head. 'Let Glinda have a look at your injuries,' he instructed her. 'I know you'll keep going until you drop dead if it's up to you, but I know you're in pain, Fae. What they did to you…'

'Oh my Oz, Elphie!' Glinda piped up suddenly, horror written all over her face. 'I didn't even think of that! I'm so sorry! I mean, you were tortured only a few days ago, and I didn't even take _care _of you!'

Elphaba glared at Fiyero. 'Now see what you've done?'

He only chuckled. 'Keep her here, Glin,' he told the blonde, and she nodded frantically. 'Of course! Come on, Elphie – let's get you washed up and then I'll take care of you, okay? OH MY OZ – is that a _burn wound_?'

Fiyero grinned to himself as he left the mansion. Elphaba had no chance of escaping now.

* * *

Glinda took Elphaba to the bathroom and helped her clean up before gingerly tending to her wounds. Every now and then, she would draw in her breath with a sharp hiss at a particularly painful looking burn or whiplash, and every time Elphaba would tell her that it was okay, that it didn't hurt at all, but of course the blonde didn't believe her friend. Only when she'd tucked Elphaba in a comfortable armchair, wrapped in a blanket – the witch flatly refused to go to bed – and ordered Cyara, who had in the meantime cleaned up and changed clothes herself, to take care of the green girl, did she leave to go and find Athul.

It didn't take her long; he was waiting downstairs in the foyer. She smiled at him and he took her hand and kissed it. 'Glinda. Are you alright?'

'I'm fine,' she assured him, linking arms with him and taking him upstairs. She faltered, however, and looked at him. 'Did you… Do you believe me?' she asked him softly. 'About… what I just said? Elphie, and Fiyero, and… everything?'

He looked at her and the look in his eyes melted her. 'Of course I believe you,' he said in a low voice. 'I know you, Glinda, and you would never lie about something like this. Of course I believe you.'

She heaved a shuddery sigh and rested her head on his shoulder as they made their way upstairs together. 'Thank you.' She was silent until they reached the door to her upstairs sitting room; then she lifted her head to face him. 'I want you to meet a few people.'

She could tell that he was surprised, to say the least, when she pushed open the door and he found the Wicked Witch of the West curled up in an arm chair, fast asleep; but he didn't mention it. Glinda smiled at the sight of her friend, then turned towards Cyara. 'She fell asleep?'

'She's far more exhausted than she would ever care to admit,' Cyara said tiredly. Glinda gestured for Athul to sit down and peered at her fellow blonde curiously. 'What are you doing?'

Cyara held up a canvas and a paintbrush. 'I discovered this in the spare room you gave me,' she explained sheepishly, 'and I couldn't resist. It's been a long time since I could paint, so…'

'It's okay,' Glinda assured her with a smile, walking over to the Princess to see what she had painted. She gasped softly when she recognised Elphaba in the painting, positioned exactly the way she was now, asleep in her chair. It looked like Cyara had froze the real life picture and captured it in the canvas, even though it wasn't finished yet.

'That is beautiful,' said Glinda softly, and she was rewarded with a beaming smile from the younger girl. 'I've been wanting to paint her for a while,' Cyara explained quietly. 'Even back in the dungeons. But I never got the chance. Besides, she'd never sit still and model for me if she was awake.'

Glinda had to smile at that. 'True.' She gestured towards Athul, who was patiently waiting on the couch. 'Cyara, this is my,' she hesitated for a clock-tick, 'my friend Athul. Athul, this is Princess Cyara of the Vinkus.'

The girl rose and curtsied, and Athul bowed for her as well. 'It's an honour to meet you, your Highness,' he said solemnly, and Cyara made a face. 'Oh, please don't do that. I'm _seventeen _years old. Just call me Cyara.'

Athul smiled at her. 'I will… Cyara.'

Glinda laid one hand on his arm and gestured towards Elphaba. 'Athul… I'd like you to meet my best friend in the world, Elphaba Thropp. I'll introduce you two for real when she's awake, but she's been through so much lately and I don't want to wake her right now…'

'That's fine,' Athul assured her. 'I understand.' He sat down on the couch next to Glinda and took her hand in his. She blushed a little. 'Thank you.'

Glinda made sure some food was brought in for those who were hungry – Cyara, clearly, since she immediately attacked and started shoving down the different dishes in a random order as if she hadn't seen food for ages. Fiyero returned not long thereafter with the message that the army would leave in the morning. His parents wished Glinda well and he had to tell her that if she ever needed any help, she could always count on them.

'That's sweet of them, Fiyero,' Glinda said solemnly. She hugged him. 'I'm glad everything seems to be okay now.'

'Me, too,' he agreed softly. He slumped down in a chair and stuffed a few bread rolls in his mouth. 'Where's Fae?' he asked with his mouth full, spraying bread crumbs across the carpet. Glinda grimaced. 'Please chew and swallow before you talk,' she told him sternly, and he rolled his eyes, but complied. Glinda meanwhile pointed at the green girl in the chair, and Fiyero's face softened as he caught sight of her. Glinda smiled when she saw that look. She thought it was so adorable… She looked at Athul next to her, and couldn't help but imagine him looking at her that way – an image that made her heart flutter.

As if he read her mind, he turned his head to look at her and he smiled, gently squeezing her hand. She returned his smile and rested her head on his shoulder again. For now, everything was okay. Not perfect, but alright – and soon it would be even better. From now on, things would _only _get better. She was sure of that. No more pain. No more loss or grief. No more confusion. Just peace. Peace and quiet and happiness and friendship and love.

'I'm proud of you, Glinda,' said Athul suddenly, quietly, and Glinda raised her head to stare at him in amazement. 'What? Why?'

He shifted a little to take both her hands in his and looked her in the eye solemnly. 'I don't know the entire story,' he confessed. 'Only what you told us just now on that balcony, and what you've told me before. But judging by what I do know, I can tell that you've been through a lot. You're a good friend, Glinda,' he said, with a look at Fiyero and Elphaba. 'And you're a brave woman.'

Glinda's eyes filled with tears and she sniffled as she flung her arms around him and suddenly blurted out, 'Oh, I love you, Athul!'

She froze immediately after that, horror flashing across her face as she realised what she'd just said. Athul, however, just held her close and whispered in her ear, 'I love you, too.'

She pulled back to look at him with huge, tear-filled blue eyes, and he smiled as he gently wiped her tears away and leaned in closer. Glinda was vaguely aware of Fiyero politely shuffling away and looking the other way, and of Cyara doing just the opposite – eyeing the couple with a broad grin – but when her lips touched Athul's, she didn't care anymore. Everything rushed to the background and she held her breath, winding her arms around his neck and closing her eyes.

Happiness and love, indeed.

* * *

After a while, Glinda took Athul to one of the spare rooms to get ready for bed. She arranged another room for Elphie and Fiyero, for which the Vinkun Prince gave her a grateful smile. 'I'm not sure I want to move her, though,' he told the blonde, frowning slightly. 'I mean… she needs all the rest she can get, and I'm afraid if I wake her…'

Glinda waved him away. 'Then get yourself a blanket and sleep here. It's _my _sitting room and I don't care. You can sleep in the bathroom for all I care, or on the table – make yourself comfortable anywhere you like.'

She gave Cyara a room as well, but the blonde girl didn't look like she'd be going to bed anytime soon. 'I'm just working on this painting,' she explained when Glinda questioned her. 'Inspiration comes and goes, Glinda – and when it comes, like now, I just can't stop. I think it's going to be good – what do you think?' She held up the painting and Glinda saw to her surprise that it wasn't the one of Elphie sleeping in the chair. This one was different. This one was of her and Athul, the way they had been sitting on the couch earlier; huddled close together, with his arm around her, her head on his shoulder and his lips in her hair. Cyara had captured the picture beautifully and it really was an adorable image to begin with. 'Oh, Cyara… wow,' breathed Glinda, awestruck. 'It's… it's beautiful.'

Cyara's face lit up. 'Really? You like it?'

Glinda nodded solemnly. 'When it's finished… can I… can I have it?'

Cyara looked ready to jump to her feet and hug the other woman to death at that. '_Really_?'

'I love it,' said Glinda simply. 'If you want to keep it yourself, I understand, but I'd really love to have it…'

'You can have it,' Cyara assured her, beaming. 'Of course you can! Though I think I'll go finish it up in my room,' she whispered, nodding her head towards Elphaba and Fiyero. The green girl was still asleep and Fiyero was kneeling on the floor next to her, gently brushing her hair away from her face. Glinda nodded, smiling. 'I'll go now, too. I think they could use some time alone,' she agreed quietly, before showing Cyara to her room. 'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight, Glinda.' The blonde girl shut the door and continued painting inside her room.

Fiyero stayed with the sleeping witch, making himself comfortable on the couch as he watched her sleep. Eventually, he fell asleep himself; only to be woken a few hours later by Elphaba's soft whimpering. His eyes immediately snapped open again. She was writhing in her chair, all tangled up in her blanket, a pained expression on her face that broke his heart. He gently moved over to her and cradled her in his arms, lifting her from the chair and carrying her to the couch with him, pulling her closer as he stroked her back soothingly. 'Fae… It's okay, love, it's okay. I'm here, no one is going to hurt you… You're safe. We're all safe…'

He seemed to get through to her, because her whimpers softly died down. He cradled her head in his lap and tucked her in, holding her close as she slept on, and eventually, he drifted off to sleep again himself.

That's how Glinda found them the next morning, curled up on the couch together, Elphaba in Fiyero's arms; and she smiled softly at the sight. She quietly ordered her maid to bring them some tea and breakfast. Cyara came in not long after that, looking extremely sleepy, and Glinda turned around to face her, furrowing her brow. 'You look even more tired than you did last night.'

Cyara gave her a weary smile. 'Rush of inspiration. I've been up nearly all night, painting.'

Glinda opened her mouth to chide the younger girl for not resting properly, but she was cut off by a loud thump and an agonising scream of pain. The blonde whirled around to find Elphaba lying on the floor, curling into herself and squeezing her eyes shut, whimpering. While it took a while for Fiyero and Cyara to really realise what was happening, Glinda was by her friend's side in a clock-tick.

'Elphie?' she asked urgently. 'What's wrong?'

'I… I don't know!' the green girl managed to choke out from between clenched teeth. She opened her eyes to meet Glinda's gaze for a moment, before closing them again, gasping. 'It… it hurts… so bad!'

With that, her eyes rolled back in her head and she lost consciousness.

* * *

**And I couldn't be happier... No I couldn't be happier... Because happy is what happens, when all you guys review! :D**


	17. Chapter 17 Down

**AN: A message to you:**

**Lexie: Never.**

**BlueD: I LOVE Rapunzel. And wow, that's so cool! Good luck, and let me know how it went! :D**

**Lily: Yep, I do, and it does :D.**

**Wicked4Life: WICKED4LIFE HUNTERS, ANYONE? No, sorry, just kidding :P. I understand. It's good to know you're still reading and enjoying it. And that would be awesome :).**

**Fae Tiggular: Can't have you dying, now can we? :P No, there's nothing personal going on; just lots of university work (exams are coming up) and my inspiration strikes only when it strikes - which is why I haven't updated Love is all you need yet. Don't know when I will, it could be only after exams, but I will finish it. Promise. **

**And yes. BOW FOR ME. ALL OF YOU. BOW BEFORE THE QUEEN OF CLIFFHANGERS. MUAHAHAHAHA. Oh, how I love to do that.**

**Oh, and a shoutout to you, too, for being the 100th reviewer of this story! *whoooot* I'd give you tickets to go see Willemijn on West End, but I don't have the money, so you'll have to be satisfied with virtual tickets. Or virtual cookies. Or virtual pie *eyebrow wiggle* (oh, Oz, I _really _will never look at pie the same way ever again).**

**Elphaba-WWW: Right now, I'm seriously considering changing my username to Maddy-FaePerfection. Nah, just kidding :P. Though I am considering changing it to Queen of Cliffies... just because I can :D. (And yes, if I want to, I can pretty much pull one out of thin air ^_^.) And how I am possible... Well, you see, when two people (say, my Mom and Dad) love each other very much, they go and do- sorry, I had to do that.**

**So, enlightenment on what's happening to Elphaba. Just don't think you'll be happy with it. No cliffie this time, but I've already got another one planned for the next chapter :3.**

* * *

Fiyero, naturally, was immediately wide awake; his eyes widened and he dropped next to her on the floor, gingerly cradling her in his arms, bringing his face close to hers to see if he could detect her breathing. He could, and a wave of relief crushed him, but it was immediately replaced again by panic. 'What is going on?'

Cyara shook her head, baffled. 'I have no idea.'

'Me neither,' said Glinda grimly. 'But I'm guessing it has something to do with her being tortured in the dungeons.'

Fiyero winced at the mention of that, but Cyara caught the good witch's meaning and her head snapped up. 'You think she has internal injury.'

Glinda nodded solemnly, keeping her head surprisingly cool, and rose gracefully. 'I'll get a doctor here.' She hurried out of the room and Cyara laid one hand on her brother's shoulder. 'Yero?'

He shook his head, as if that would clear the fog that had settled in his mind. 'I guess I'll just… take her to a bedroom,' he muttered, but Cyara stopped him with one hand. 'Don't. If she's bleeding internally, moving her will do her more bad than good.'

He nodded, trying to keep himself together, but she could see the tears swimming in his eyes and in a rare gesture of affection, she hugged him. 'She'll be alright, Yero.'

'The last few times you said that, you were right,' he said hopefully, but she smiled sadly at him. 'Don't pin me down on it,' she warned him gently, and his shoulders slumped. 'I know.'

She squeezed his shoulder and waited with them until Glinda came back with a doctor. The man smiled reassuringly at all of them. 'Let's have a look, shall we? Have you moved her?' he asked, and they all shook their head. The doctor nodded. 'So what exactly happened?'

Glinda explained what she had seen, and the man's brow furrowed. 'Have you ever seen anything like it before?' he asked Glinda, who shook her head. 'Never. I have no idea what it was.'

Suddenly, Cyara spoke up thoughtfully. 'It looked like she was having a seizure.'

Glinda stared at her in mild surprise. 'What?'

The younger girl flashed her a small grin. 'I was planning on studying medicine after high school,' she explained. 'Before, well, _this_,' she made a vague hand gesture, 'all happened. I've been volunteering at a local hospital in the Vinkus for some time… you know, to prepare myself.'

The doctor nodded. 'A seizure, you say? I'll see if I can find anything,' he promised.

He carefully examined the green girl, not seeming at all surprised by her skin colour – Glinda must have told him in advance who the patient was – and they all waited anxiously for him to finish. He was frowning, which Fiyero didn't really take as a good sign, and his stomach clenched. _If something happened to her now…_

The doctor listened to her heartbeat and breathing and his frown deepened. Glinda held her breath, watching him, until finally, the doctor removed his stethoscope and shook his head. 'As far as I can tell, there's no internal damage done.'

Glinda let out a relieved breath, but Fiyero kept his gaze fixed on the doctor. 'Then why don't you look happy?'

The poor man did, indeed, look rather unhappy. He shook his head again. 'There's nothing wrong with her,' he explained, clearly confused. 'I mean, yes, she has shallow wounds – the whiplashes and the burns… superficial wounds from her being tortured. But I can't find anything that can explain the seizure her Highness mentioned… or, well, this.' He gestured towards the green girl, still lying unconscious on the floor. 'I have no idea why she is unconscious and I can't explain why she claimed to be in pain right before she passed out. I'm sorry, but I haven't got the faintest clue what could be causing this.'

That didn't really ease their anxiety, but there was nothing else the doctor could do. Glinda walked him out and Cyara tiptoed back to her own room, understanding that her brother wanted to be alone with Elphaba right now. Glinda also kept to herself as she quietly moved around the house after seeing the doctor out.

Athul came out of his room not much later and she flung herself at him, hugging him. 'I missed you,' she told him solemnly and he smiled and ran his hands through her blonde curls. 'I missed you, too.' He looked at her more closely and frowned a little. 'Glin? Is something wrong? You seem upset.'

Glinda bit her lip, then told him quietly what was going on with her friend. He understood and he held her close in an attempt to comfort her. 'I'm sure she'll be alright,' he said soothingly. 'You'll figure it out! After all, if it's not something physical causing it, then there's not much else it could be, right?'

She blinked. Then she suddenly jerked away from him, eyes wide and shining, as she started bouncing. 'Oh my Oz, you're a genius!' she cried, jumping up to kiss his cheek, then dashing off in the direction of her own bedroom, leaving him alone and very, very confused.

* * *

Fiyero still hadn't dared to move Elphaba; he'd just covered her with a blanket as he sat by her side, trying his hardest not to cry. He was so caught up in that particular task, that seemed to get harder with every passing minute, that he didn't notice her eyes flickering open at first – not until she stirred in his arms. 'Yero?' Before he knew it, she was sitting up, though she quickly regretted that as a wave of dizziness overcame her. She groaned and brought one hand to her head. 'What happened? I feel like my head is going to explode.'

Finally giving up, he allowed the tears to drop from his eyes as he pulled her to him and held her as tightly to him as he dared, burying his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. She was slightly baffled at that, but didn't say anything. His despair was almost palpable and though she wasn't sure what exactly had caused it, she could easily deduce that it must have something to do with her just waking up on the floor. 'Yero?' she asked again, softly.

He shook his head, which was still buried in her hair. 'I'm not sure what happened,' came his muffled and slightly choked reply. 'You suddenly started screaming, and you were in pain… and then you blacked out and… and you didn't wake up…'

Even without hearing the tears in his voice, she understood how he must have felt, and she slid her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head and slowly, he got a hold of himself again. He exhaled slowly, audibly. 'Thank Oz you're okay. The doctor had no idea what was wrong with you – we didn't even know if you'd ever wake up again…'

She heaved a shaky sigh. 'Just as we thought we were past the pain and drama…' she said a bit bitterly, and he rubbed her back soothingly. 'Who says we're not?' he offered optimistically. 'Maybe it's just an aftermath of the torture, or something. Or the stress – you've been under a lot of stress, haven't you? Couldn't that be it?' He sounded hopeful and she hated to crush his hopes, so she said reluctantly, 'Maybe,' but she didn't believe that for one clock-tick.

That feeling only increased when Glinda came rushing in with the Grimmerie, Athul trailing behind her. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw that her friend was awake; then she let out a high, ear-piercing squeal that made Fiyero wince and Elphaba cover her ears. The blonde launched herself at her friend in a hug. 'Thank Oz, Elphie!' she squeaked. 'Thank Oz!'

Elphaba, ever the practical one, had immediately shifted her attention towards the Grimmerie. 'Glin?' she asked cautiously. 'Why did you bring that?'

'I had an idea, Elphie,' Glinda explained, sitting down on the floor with her friends, none of them caring to move to the much more comfortable couch. 'Whatever caused you pain, and whatever caused you to pass out… it wasn't physical. The doctor couldn't find anything.'

'True,' Elphaba agreed warily, not sure if she was liking where this was going. Glinda tapped the Grimmerie with her fingernails. 'So the problem must be magical.'

'Now wait a clock-tick,' Fiyero protested, holding up his hands. 'There's a lot of possible causes in between 'physical' and 'magical'!'

Both Glinda and Elphaba quirked an eyebrow at him. 'Like what, exactly?' Glinda asked sceptically, and he started counting on his fingers. 'Something psychological…'

'Yes, because Elphie must be the most weak-minded person we know.' He had never heard his blonde friend sound so sarcastic before and Elphaba gave her an approving smile. 'That was good, Glin. You're learning.'

Glinda giggled and Fiyero rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, too. 'No, but still,' Glinda continued. 'It's not psychological. Psychological… _things _don't cause you to be in pain and pass out.'

He had to admit that was probably true, so he moved to the next possible cause on his list… only he couldn't really come up with one.

He sighed in defeat. 'Okay. Magical. But why magical, Glin? Who do you know that would cast a spell over Elphaba? Someone that's still alive and has access to magic?'

The green and the blonde girl shared a look. They hadn't really thought about that. Elphaba chuckled softly. 'That's the first time in years we can't come up with someone wanting to murder me.'

Glinda scowled at her. 'Not funny, Elphie. But well,' she continued perkily, 'whoever it was, we can at least go through the Grimmerie, right? See if we can find anything?'

'That wouldn't hurt, I suppose,' Fiyero conceded, and the blonde started flipping through the pages enthusiastically. Elphaba rubbed her temples and Fiyero eyed her in concern. 'You okay?'

She nodded faintly. 'Just a headache. Nothing special – I've been having those for the past days… _they _probably _do _have a psychological cause, like stress,' she teased him, and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple. 'I love you so much, Fae… and I'm so glad you're with us again.'

She kissed his lips softly. 'I am, too. And whatever this means,' she added quietly, 'we'll get through this, too, Yero. Together. Just like we got through everything else.'

He nuzzled her cheek. 'We will, Fae. We will.'

Elphaba sat up straight in alarm, however, when she looked up and noticed Glinda's facial expression. The blonde's eyes had gone wide and she was trembling, and the blood had drained from her face, leaving her as white as a sheet. 'Glin?'

'Oh, Elphie…' she whispered, and Elphaba just stared at her. 'Glin, tell me what's wrong. Did you find anything?'

The blonde nodded faintly. 'I did, but… oh, that evil old hag!' she suddenly spat, and Elphaba's eyes widened, too, now. 'You better not be saying what I think you're saying.'

'What?' Fiyero asked anxiously. 'Glin? How bad is it?'

Elphaba pulled the Grimmerie from Glinda's hands and stared at the same page her friend had been staring at only clock-ticks ago, as it slowly dawned on her what it meant. Then she let out a string of curses so colourful that they caused even Athul and Fiyero, who both had some experience with extremely foul-mouthed Gale Force soldiers, to blanch.

Normally, Glinda would have chided her friend, but since she thought the curses Elphaba was uttering didn't even come close to expressing what they were both feeling right now, she let her. Fiyero grew positively frantic now, not knowing what was going on, but understanding it wasn't good. 'Glinda? Fae? Please tell me,' he begged, and Elphaba tiredly rested her head back against his chest. 'Someone left a note for me,' she said flatly, and he blinked at her. 'A note? In the Grimmerie?'

Glinda nodded and pulled the book from Elphaba's hands again, handing it over to Fiyero. 'See for yourself.'

He looked at the ancient book. In the middle of one of the fragile and extremely old looking pages was a small piece of less ancient paper, with something written on it – a note. He read the words, and though he didn't immediately understand who it must be from or what it meant, the ominous words sent shivers down his spine.

_If I'm down, you're going down with me, dearie._

'What's that supposed to mean?' he demanded in a slightly shriller voice than usual, and Elphaba looked up at him. 'There's only one person that always called me 'dearie'.'

He still looked confused and she shared a look with Glinda before they both agreed, 'Horrible Morrible.'

That made his blood run cold. 'What?'

'It must be her,' said Glinda in a quivering voice. 'She left Elphie this note.'

'But what does it mean?' Fiyero pressed on. '"If I'm down, you're going down with me"? What does that mean?'

'It means,' Elphaba said tiredly, rubbing her temples once again in a fruitless attempt to lessen her headache, 'that Morrible had a back-up plan in case she should die.'

'Which she has,' Fiyero said, slowly understanding. Elphaba nodded. 'Which she has. And that back-up plan of hers has been set in motion: a spell.' She tapped the book. 'The spell on that page, where she left the note.'

'A spell,' he repeated, still not really getting what exactly this meant. Glinda looked at him. 'There are certain spells,' she explained quietly, 'that bind two people together. Literally. There are different kinds of those – some of those spells allow two people to share their feelings, or their pain… some of those bind _lives _together, so that if one person dies, the other one dies as well, even though there's nothing physically wrong with the second person…'

He felt as if he couldn't breathe. 'Is that what she did to Fae?' he demanded in a choked voice, and Elphaba caressed his cheek lovingly, cupping his face in her hands. 'Hey,' she said as she saw the tears in his eyes. 'It can't be that. I'm still here, aren't I?'

Well, that much was true at least, so he nodded and she kissed him softly. He let out a shaky breath and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he directed his attention back to Glinda. 'So?'

'This one,' Glinda continued her explanation, 'only goes one way. I'm not sure how that works _exactly_, but it is designed so that Elphie is bound to Morrible, not the other way around. So if something had happened to Elphie, Morrible would have been perfectly fine; but now that something has happened to Morrible, it has triggered another spell, one she must have cast on Elphie earlier.'

'What does that spell _do_, Glinda?'

She sighed and tapped the Grimmerie. 'It's on this page, where she left the note.' She still didn't say what kind of spell it was, which only increased Fiyero's anxiety. He looked at Elphaba. 'Fae?'

She averted her eyes.

He drew in his breath sharply. 'That bad, huh?'

'Kind of,' confessed Glinda in a small voice. She _really _didn't want to be the one to tell Fiyero that the love of his life was going to die if they didn't do something. She knew how he'd react, and she didn't want to be responsible for that.

Elphaba seemed to sense that, because she reached out to give her friend's hand a reassuring squeeze before looking back up at Fiyero. 'The spell is what caused the seizure I just had,' she said simply. 'It probably also explains the headache I've had for the past days. It starts out slowly, but it'll grow worse in time. More seizures, more pain, more unconsciousness. In a week or two, they'll be so bad that they'll probably fuse into one big chain of seizures and unconsciousness, without me really waking up in between… until they kill me.'

He was crying now. He pulled her towards him, buried his face in her hair and cried. She held him, resting her head against his shoulder, and Glinda watched the two of them with tears in her eyes. She nearly jumped when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, but when she looked up, she found it was Athul. 'Don't worry,' he said solemnly. 'You're both powerful witches. You can come up with something to save her, right?'

Glinda sniffled and wiped her nose with her sleeve. 'I don't know,' she admitted, rising to her feet, still looking at the couple on the floor. Determination slowly settled on her face and in her eyes. 'But we can certainly try.'

Athul smiled at her. 'That's my girl.' She wrapped her arms around him and he held her for a while, not saying anything, sensing that was what she needed.

'I'm not going to let her defeat me,' declared Elphaba from her spot on the floor. Fiyero was still clinging to her and she was holding him, but she had that same determination in her eyes that could also be found in Glinda's. 'I need your help, Glin.'

Glinda smiled at her friend. 'Anything you need, Elphie.'

* * *

Had it been up to Fiyero, he would have made her stay in bed all day with him watching over her like a hawk; but she wouldn't have any of that. 'For now, it's just a headache, Yero,' she said gently. 'I'm not an invalid. You don't have to take care of me.'

He clearly disagreed with her on that point, but he didn't argue as they all settled down in Glinda's sitting room. Glinda had filled Cyara in on the recent developments and the girl wanted to help as well, in any way possible.

'So,' Glinda began, taking charge. 'Here's what we need to do.' She started counting on her fingers. 'Someone needs to comb out the Grimmerie in search of a counter spell or another way to break the spell Morrible cast on Elphie.'

'I can do that myself,' said Elphaba, and Glinda nodded. 'Okay. Then we needs someone to research other spell books. They may be less powerful than the Grimmerie, but there could still be something useful in there. I'll do that – I'm the only other one with any knowledge about magic, after all.'

None of them could argue with that, so the blonde moved on. 'Someone should go and tell the Vinkun King and Queen that Fiyero and Cyara are staying here with me and Elphie… at least, I'm guessing that you do both want to stay here,' she added, at which Fiyero tightened his grip on Elphaba, setting his jaw, and Cyara quirked an eyebrow. 'Do you even need to ask?'

Glinda flashed her a smile. 'Don't worry. That was rhetorical.'

Cyara grinned at her. 'Okay. I'll go take that message to my parents – I'll tell them Yero and I can find our own way back home.'

'What about me? What can I do?' demanded Fiyero. Glinda and Elphaba exchanged looks, both of them looking a bit sheepishly. 'Um… nothing,' Glinda finally said apologetically. 'I'm really sorry, Fiyero, but I can't think of anything you can do to help… same goes for you, Athul. The most important thing for us to do right now is find a way to break Morrible's spell, and since neither of you know anything about magic – you probably can't even read the spell books… you can't help with that.'

Fiyero looked crestfallen and Athul didn't seem too thrilled, either. 'But… but…' the Vinkun Prince started protesting weakly. 'I need to do _something_!'

Elphaba squeezed his hand. 'I could tell you now that you're helping already just by being here, and that would be true… but I understand that you want to do something a little less… passive. I just can't think of something, either. I'm sorry, Yero.'

He sighed and rested his chin on top of her head. 'It's okay. I'll just… hang around, or something.'

Athul gave him a sympathetic grin. 'Yeah… me too. At least we can do that… be there for the girls.'

'Yeah,' Fiyero agreed half-heartedly. Glinda smiled at them both. 'And we really appreciate you doing that for us.'

'We really do,' agreed Elphaba softly, and she felt his grip on her tighten even more. Glinda nodded. 'That's settled, then. I'll have someone bring in more spell books. Cyara, you better leave right away; that way you'll be back before dark. Elphie, here's the Grimmerie – good luck.'

'Thanks, Glin,' the green girl said quietly, taking the ancient book from her friend. Glinda, Athul, and Cyara left, and Elphaba made herself comfortable on the couch, sitting between his legs, her back leaning against his chest. She started flipping through the pages and he rested his chin on her shoulder, reading along. 'I wish I could understand it.'

He felt her smile. 'It's a lost language. I'd be surprised if you could.'

'Still, I wish I did,' he sighed. 'If just so that I could be of any help to you. Any help at all.'

She turned her head to kiss him. 'You're already helping.' Then she winced slightly and he eyed her anxiously. 'What is it?'

She shook her head faintly. 'Just a bad headache.'

He kissed her temple, then started rubbing her shoulders, figuring that since there wasn't much else he could do, he might as well try and relieve her headache a little. Gradually, he felt her relax, leaning more heavily against him, until her head dropped back on his shoulder and he knew she was asleep. He carefully removed the Grimmerie from her lap and placed it on the salon table, without moving away from her. After that, he just held her, gently stroking her hair.

When Glinda entered some time after and saw them like that, she nearly had a panic attack. 'Did she have a seizure again?' she whispered harshly, and Fiyero shook his head. 'Don't worry, Glin. She's just sleeping.'

'Are you sure?' Glinda wanted to know. 'How can you be sure?' Her voice rose a little in pitch.

'I can't, okay?' he snapped, trying to keep his voice low as not to wake her. 'But I don't think we should go all paranoid on this.'

'Says Mr. Paranoid himself,' Elphaba suddenly murmured, startling both Glinda and Fiyero. 'Elphie!' Glinda cried.

'I'm sorry,' Fiyero apologised. 'I didn't mean to wake you up.'

She shook her head and pushed herself up a little. 'You didn't. It's okay. I shouldn't have fallen asleep in the first place,' she said, reaching for the Grimmerie again. 'I was supposed to look for a way to break this spell.'

Glinda snatched the Grimmerie away before the dark-haired witch could even touch it. 'Oh, no. None of that, Elphie. You are going to let Fiyero take you to bed now, and you're going to _sleep_, and _I _will go through the Grimmerie. I can read it too, now, you know. And you need your rest.'

Elphaba looked faintly exasperated. 'Do I have a say in that?' she wanted to know, and Glinda shook her head. 'No, you don't,' she told her friend firmly, at which Elphaba rolled her eyes, but she was too tired still to argue with her friend. 'Fine,' she conceded, and Fiyero gently picked her up and carried her to their bedroom, tucking her in and waiting for her to fall asleep. Glinda snuck in after half an hour or so, looking worried. 'Did she really just _agree _to you taking her to bed?'

Fiyero nodded, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. 'She did. She would _never _do that if she was okay – you know that as well as I do. I'd blame it on the exhaustion of the past few days, and everything that… happened…' She caught his hesitation and knew he still couldn't get the word 'torture' cross his lips. '…but now, in the light of recent events…' He shook his head. 'I don't know what to think anymore.'

Glinda went over to her friends and squeezed Fiyero's hand, looking down at Elphaba's sleeping form. 'She'll be okay,' she said softly. 'I'll do everything in my power to make sure she'll be okay. She's done so much for me…' Her voice trailed away, and Fiyero smiled sadly at her. 'Thanks, Glin.'

The blonde shrugged. 'It's true. It's what I have to do. And we have to believe that it will work,' she said, gazing up at Fiyero with her dark blue eyes. 'We have to believe that we can save her. If we don't believe it ourselves, we might as well give up right here and now.'

'I'll try,' he said quietly, his own azure eyes unreadable. 'It's just…'

He didn't finish, and he didn't have to. Glinda squeezed his hand again. 'I know, Fiyero. I know.'


	18. Chapter 18 Agony

**AN: Hello, everyone! No, your eyes aren't deceiving you - this really is an update! Thank you all so much for reviewing again, and saying such amazingly sweet things, too - I love you for it!**

**Fae the Queen: Where the new plot development came from? Out of thin air. Like, literally. I was just like, 'I don't want this story to end yet... so what can I do? More torture... hm... but who can still torture Elphie now? OH! I KNOW! MUAHAHAHA!' That's how my mind works :3.**

**Elphaba'sGirl: That's such a great compliment, thank you so much! :) And I apologise for letting you stare at your screen for about a week :P. **

**I'm really sorry for the long wait. Lots of inspiration for Shadows + not too much inspiration for this one + exams coming up next week = little time, and all the time I did have went to Shadows... and to a few oneshots that I'll be posting right after this one :).**

**(By the way, I was thinking... do you guys know American Pie? Steve Stifler? He calls himself the Stifmeister, right? So I was thinking Queen of Cliffies, Cliffmeister... and I rolled over with laughter at myself. Yes, I'm pathetic sometimes.)**

* * *

**Chapter 18. Agony**

'FIYERO TIGGULAR!'

'That sounds like you're in trouble,' announced Cyara needlessly, a smirk on her face. Fiyero winced a little as he saw Athul emerge from the hallway, looking slightly terrified. 'I'm sorry, Fiyero,' he apologised. 'I really do want to help you, but right now, I'm more afraid of her than I am loyal to you.'

Fiyero made a face. 'Just perfect.'

Just then, Elphaba came stomping through the hallway, her face one giant thundercloud. 'Have you gone insane?' she demanded in a high voice, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at him dangerously. 'Locking me in my room and have Athul stay with me to make sure I won't leave my bed? _Really_, Fiyero?' she fumed.

Glinda squeaked softly and tried to sneak out of the room, but Elphaba's roaring voice brought her back. 'And that goes for you, too, Glinda Upland! I _know _you agreed on this!'

'Elphie!' Glinda wailed. 'You need to rest!'

'So you lock me up?!'

'Not that it stopped you,' muttered Cyara, and Elphaba sniffed. 'Seriously. A lock and Athul? Piece of cake. No offense, Athul.'

'None taken,' he assured her, seeming a bit pale still. 'I just… um… no offense to you, either, but… I think I can see now how you earned your title.'

She smirked at him. 'Oh, please. You haven't even seen _half _of my Wicked Witch of the West repertoire.'

'In that case, I don't want to see the rest,' he muttered as she directed her flaming gaze back at Fiyero and Glinda. 'So? Anything to say?'

Glinda crossed her arms and raised her chin defiantly. 'No,' she declared. 'You're sick, Elphie, and you need your rest. And since Oz knows that you won't take care of yourself, we decided that _we _needed to take care of you, then. So no. I don't have anything to say. If you want me to apologise, you can stay there and wait for a long, long time. Until you're old and gray and a hundred years old.'

Elphaba cackled. 'A hundred years old? My, aren't we optimistic. If it keeps going at this rate, I won't even make the end of the month.'

Glinda flushed. 'You stop talking like that, Elphaba Melena Thropp! That's exactly what we're trying to _prevent_ here!'

'Putting me in a bed won't help slow it down in any way, Glinda! It's not a sickness – it's a spell! Bed rest won't do me any good!'

'Well, we have to do _something_!' Glinda screamed at her, stomping her foot like she used to do back at Shiz when she didn't get her way. 'Because I refuse to let you die!'

'Then let me look for a spell in the Grimmerie!'

'You can barely keep your eyes open for five minutes!'

'That's not true!'

'And you said yourself that you have a headache!'

'That doesn't mean I'm not able to read an Oz-damned _book_!'

Fiyero and Athul exchanged a look. 'Fae…' Fiyero began, but she cut him off by holding up one hand, without even looking at him. He decided to follow Athul's example and just stay quiet. In her current agitated state, Elphaba might just change him back into a Scarecrow or something if he annoyed her too much.

Elphaba was still glaring at her blonde friend. 'Stop smothering me!'

'We're not smothering you, we're _taking care _of you! Because we _do _care for you!'

'You can care for me without all the coddling!'

'Guys!' Cyara suddenly yelled, and both witches turned towards her. Cyara crossed her arms and glared at them both. '_Stop it._ You're not getting anywhere.'

'I'll only stop if she lets me take care of _myself_,' declared Elphaba, at which Glinda snorted. 'Yes, because you do that so well.'

'I do!'

'Oh, yes, and that's why you look like a walking dead body.'

'Gee, thank you so much.'

'It's true!' Glinda insisted. Elphaba threw her hands up. 'I'm under a spell!'

'That's no excuse, Elphie!'

'I was _tortured_!'

'That's no excuse either!'

'Oh, yes, because _you _would still look like a supermodel after being sliced open!'

'Excuse me, Miss Elphaba, but I believe you did most of the slicing yourself!'

Elphaba's face darkened. '_Do not_ bring that up.'

Glinda bristled. 'Why not? They all know already! You tortured _yourself_!'

'Because you refused to do it! I was trying to protect you!'

'Hah!' snarled Glinda. 'Who's smothering who now?'

'Glinda, this was _weeks _ago!'

'That doesn't matter, I'm trying to prove my point that you cannot take care of yourself!'

'I survived three years on the run by myself, didn't I?'

Cyara and the men were watching them silently. Fiyero looked worried, Athul seemed taken aback, and Cyara was stifling a laugh. _That _caught the witches' attention.

'What are you laughing at?' Glinda demanded, and Cyara shrugged, grinning. 'You two. You're both being ridiculous.'

'We're not!' protested Glinda, but then Athul spoke up hesitantly. 'I don't mean to be rude, dear, but you kind of are.'

'And you should know better, Glinda,' the Vinkun princess continued sternly. 'What if the two of you fighting would have sent Elphaba into another seizure?'

Now Glinda looked shocked and guilty. 'Oh… I hadn't thought of that,' she said with wide eyes. 'I'm sorry… Elphie? Are you okay?' she suddenly asked worriedly, and everyone's attention snapped towards the green girl. She had sunk down onto a chair, her eyes were closed and her breath was quick and shallow. 'Elphie?' the blonde girl asked again, kneeling down next to her friend. 'Oh, Elphie, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you to…'

Elphaba waved her friend away. 'It's… my own fault,' she breathed, grimacing. 'I shouldn't have… gotten myself… worked up.'

Fiyero knelt down on her other side. 'Fae?'

She was clasping his hand tightly as she struggled to breathe, but the pain was so horrible that it took her breath away. 'I think I'd better… lie down,' she managed to choke out, but Fiyero could see that there was no time to move her to a bedroom now. Glinda saw it, too, so she gently helped her friend onto the floor, cradling the green girl's head in her lap. 'How bad is it, Elphie?' she asked softly, and Elphaba looked up at her, the pain clearly visible in her eyes. 'Remember… that spell… Morrible made you use on me?' she whispered, and Glinda's throat constricted at the memory. Her friend had looked as if she had been in horrible pain back then, and the blonde still felt incredibly guilty for using it. 'Yes.'

'Multiply that by ten,' Elphaba said through clenched teeth, and Glinda fought back her tears. 'Oh, Elphie…'

The dark-haired witch curled up on her side, in foetal position, biting back a scream. 'I'll survive,' she said wryly. 'For now.'

'I need to find something to help you,' whispered Glinda, on the verge of tears. She tenderly lifted Elphaba's head from her lap and laid it on the floor, rising to her feet and stalking over to where she had left her pile of spell books. '_Now_.'

Fiyero tightened his grip on Elphaba as he helplessly watched her writhe and squirm in pain. He wished he could do something for her, but what was there for him to do? Even Glinda, with all her magic, couldn't help her…

He pressed a kiss to her brow. 'Hold on, Fae,' he whispered, and she looked up at him. 'I'll try.' She curled more into herself as another wave of pain rippled through her and she gasped. She knew why Morrible had chosen this spell. Naturally, she had wanted Elphaba's death to be as slow and painful as possible; and this, Elphaba was convinced, was about as painful as it could get without her losing consciousness just because of the pain itself. She felt Fiyero's arms around her and breathed in his scent, incredibly grateful just to have him there. 'I love you,' she breathed, and she felt him lean down to kiss her lips briefly. 'I love you, too, Fae.'

She let out a cry at a new rush of agonising pain; then, thankfully, she fell unconscious again.

* * *

It took the green girl several hours to wake up. Fiyero spent those hours by her bedside, while Glinda spent them going through the spell books, one at a time, searching for something, anything, that might help in their current situation. When Elphaba and Fiyero entered the room, she looked up and smiled at her friend, though inwardly, she was shocked at Elphaba's appearance. She definitely looked worse; her emerald skin had faded to a paler colour and there was something in her formerly sparkling dark eyes that hadn't been there before. A tiredness, and something that looked an awful lot like… defeat? She was leaning heavily on Fiyero, and Glinda tried to regain her composure as she gave her friend a shaky smile. 'Hey, Elphie. How are you feeling?'

'Like I've been ran over by a train,' she grumbled as she lowered herself onto a chair. This time, Glinda's smile was genuine. She was glad to see that Elphaba at least felt good enough to be sarcastic.

'Found anything?' asked Fiyero, but Glinda shook her head sadly. 'Not yet.'

Elphaba pulled the Grimmerie towards her and opened it, clearly intending to help look for a solution herself. Glinda and Fiyero exchanged a look, both of them having protests on their lips, but they decided not to say anything. They both knew that once Elphaba set her mind to something, there was no stopping her; and them worrying would only increase her grumpiness.

They kept on searching, but didn't find anything, and in the days that followed, Elphaba had four more attacks. Fiyero, of course, grew increasingly worried; and Glinda barely slept anymore, flicking pages day and night in a frantic search for a cure for her friend.

When Athul found her one morning in her study room, having fallen asleep at her desk with her head resting on a spell book, he gently shook her awake. 'Glin? Glinda? Wake up, love.'

She blinked and yawned, then sat up. 'Athul?' she asked sleepily. 'What…' She looked around her and realised where she was. 'Oh.'

He shook his head. 'This has to stop, Glinda. You're making yourself sick if you keep going like this.'

'Rather me than Elphie!' the blonde snapped at him, but she immediately regretted that when she saw a hurt look cross his face. 'I'm sorry,' she mumbled, raking her fingers through her now tangled blonde curls. 'It's sweet of you to worry about me. It's just…'

'I know,' Athul said gently, drawing her in his arms and pressing his lips to her hair. 'I know, Glinda. But you'll find a solution.'

'We're running out of time,' she said softly from where she had pressed her face against his chest, and she felt him nod. 'I know. But I'm confident you'll figure it out.'

'Glinda?' The blonde looked up to find Cyara in the doorway, a little hesitant, with a book in her hand. The princess held the book up in the air. 'I may have found something – not to cure Elphaba, but perhaps something that could help her pain.'

Glinda slowly pulled away from Athul and blinked at her fellow blonde. 'Did you find a spell?'

Cyara shrugged modestly. 'It's a Quadling book,' she explained. 'As a princess, I've been taught to read Quadling – you know, to improve the bonds between the different states, blah blah... I saw it on the table in the sitting room, and I decided to take a look.'

Glinda smiled at the younger girl and hugged her briefly. 'Thank you for helping out, Cyara.'

They made their way over to the sitting room, speeding up when they heard Fiyero calling for them from inside the room. Glinda rushed inside, and her heart broke at the sight of Elphie being in extreme pain yet again. This must be the… what? Sixth seizure? Seventh? They'd lost count, but Glinda was starting to wonder how many seizures, how much time, they still had left. Elphaba had estimated it at two weeks, but what if she had been wrong? As far as they knew, she could just die any clock-tick now and that knowledge was just too much for the bubbly blonde.

Cyara silently made her way to Glinda's side and handed her the Quadling spell book. Glinda quickly skimmed the pages, then knelt down next to the couch on which Elphaba was lying. 'Elphie?' she said gently. 'I have a spell here… It won't lift Morrible's, but it'll put you to sleep. I can cast it every time another attack starts – at least it would spare you the pain… Do you want me to cast it?'

Fiyero stared at her with large, scared blue eyes, reminding Glinda of a small frightened boy, and she felt tears coming up yet again. She firmly pushed them away, though. No more crying for her. Crying wouldn't help anyone, and since Elphie obviously wasn't in perfect shape and Fiyero was pretty much breaking down, they'd need _her _to stay strong for them.

'Isn't that dangerous?' asked Fiyero anxiously. 'I mean… is there a risk involved? Of her… I don't know…'

'Never waking up again?' Glinda finished that thought, then shook her head. 'No. It's just a simple sleeping spell, is all. It knocks someone out for a few hours, but it's not dangerous, Fiyero. Do you think I would try to cast it on my best friend if I thought it was dangerous?'

He shook his head. 'No… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply…' He took a deep breath, then looked down at Elphaba again. The green girl had her eyes squeezed shut in agony, but now she opened them just long enough to meet Glinda's gaze, and the blonde could see the despair in those dark brown eyes. 'Cast it, please, Glinda,' she breathed, and Glinda wasted no time. She chanted the spell, and within clock-ticks, Elphaba stopped squirming and her body went limp. Fiyero gently picked her up to take her over to the bedroom, and Glinda looked at Cyara with a small smile. 'Thank you.'

The girl smiled back, sadly. 'I want to help her too, you know,' she said solemnly. 'I'm glad I could do something – anything.'

Athul tenderly took Glinda's arm and guided her back to her own rooms. 'Glinda, darling, you need to take care of yourself,' he told her seriously. 'You won't be any good to anyone if you break down. Come on.' He took her to the bathroom and filled the bathtub for her, then fetched her a clean nightgown from her room and kissed her forehead. 'Go and take a nice, long bath. I'll take care of something to eat for you.'

Too tired to protest, she agreed, and soaked in the warm water until it had gotten icy cold and she was shivering. Slowly, she got up and out of the bathtub and started drying herself off, her movements almost mechanically. She changed into the nightgown and put on a robe as well before going back to her room.

Athul was sitting in a chair by her bed, reading, but he looked up and smiled when he saw her. 'Feel better?'

She shrugged listlessly and crawled onto her bed. There was a tray with several dishes on her nightstand, and Athul pressed her into eating something. 'You need your strength, Glin,' he told her sternly when she flatly refused to eat at first. 'For Elphaba.'

She couldn't argue with that, so she took a few bites from each dish, then sank back into her pillow. Athul pulled the blanket up to her chin, tucked her in, and stroked her blonde curls away from her face. 'Sleep, Glinda,' he said tenderly. 'When you wake up, you'll feel much better and everything will look different again – I promise.'

Though she didn't really _want _to sleep for fear of losing time, or something happening to Elphie while she was asleep, she couldn't stay away much longer and her eyes had drifted shut before Athul had even left the room.

* * *

Not succeeding in finding a counter spell unnerved them all. Elphaba's condition grew worse by the day; she now had two seizures a day, on average, and in between them, she was still plagued by a terrible headache, forcing her to stay in bed constantly, much to her own dismay. Every time the pain started again, Glinda would cast the Quadling spell for the green girl to fall asleep, for which Elphaba was grateful. At least she didn't have to endure that torture anymore… and somehow, it felt as if she had outsmarted Morrible and her painful revenge plans.

The sleeping spell, of course, did nothing to relieve Morrible's own spell, so it didn't really get them anywhere. Each time, Elphaba stayed unconscious for a longer period of time after an attack, and especially Fiyero was nearly going mad at this point. Cyara helped Glinda with finding useful spells in the books that she could understand, but to no avail.

And then one day, as Elphaba's pain started again and Glinda wanted to cast the sleeping spell, the green girl held up one hand, gasping for breath. 'No… Not yet, Glinda… please,' she said quietly, and Glinda nodded, slightly confused.

Fiyero hovered over the young witch. 'What is it, Fae?'

'Yero…' She brought up her hand to caress his cheek, curling into him in her pain. 'I'm so sorry for everything I put you through,' she whispered, and he looked confused. 'I… I don't understand.'

She closed her eyes for a moment. 'Everything that happened…' She looked up and her eyes met Glinda's. 'Glin… I'm so sorry for taking him away from you,' she said softly, and Glinda smiled reassuringly at her. 'Oh, Elphie… I forgave you for that a long time ago.'

'You're the only friend I ever had,' whispered Elphaba, and Glinda suddenly started crying. 'And I've had so many friends!'

Even in her pain, Elphaba chuckled at that, but tears blurred her own vision when the blonde added quietly, 'But you were the only one that mattered…'

Elphaba noticed Athul slipping an arm around the blonde's waist in silent support, and she looked at him for a moment. 'Take good care of her.'

He just smiled sadly and nodded, and Fiyero started to panic. 'Fae… Why do you sound like you're saying goodbye?'

She ignored him for now and moved along to Cyara. 'I meant what I told you earlier, kid,' she whispered. 'I'm proud of you. You can do so much good…'

Cyara knew what Elphaba was doing. None of them were sure when Morrible's spell would really kill Elphaba, and she wanted to say goodbye to everyone before that would happen. It hurt her to see her friend like this, but she forced herself to straighten her back and hold her head high. She would make Elphaba proud. 'Thank you,' she said, earning herself a weak smile from the green girl.

'Fae?' Fiyero really did sound panicky now. 'What are you…'

'I love you so much, Yero,' she whispered, touching his cheek again, and he pressed her hand against his face and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself down a little.

'I'm sorry for everything,' she continued, her dark eyes unreadable except for the pain that was in there – and not just physical pain this time. 'But everything I did… was because I love you. And… Thank you so much…' She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, before finishing in a whisper, 'For… for everything you did for me.'

His grip on her shoulders tightened to the point where it was almost painful – though not quite, since she was still feeling a much more overwhelming pain. The waves of pain crushed through her, faster and faster, and she could feel that she would soon fall unconscious again. Fiyero gazed down into her eyes intently. 'Fae? Fae, listen to me. Don't do this. Don't say goodbye. You can't do this. You can't leave me alone…' He was crying now, and a single tear left the corner of her own eye as well and slowly made its way down her temple and into her raven hair. 'You promised, Fae, you promised…'

'I'm so sorry,' she whispered, and he shook his head violently. 'No. No. You're not doing this, you're not. You can't. Do you hear me, Fae? You can't! Oz dammit, Elphaba, I can't live without you!'

'Please…' she breathed, looking into his eyes. 'Please try…' She gasped again and her vision slowly went black. Just before she passed out again, she murmured, 'I love you…'

He was still crying, but he managed to choke out, 'I love you, too,' before he broke down. Cyara wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder, and Glinda and Athul just watched, both with tears in their eyes, as Fiyero cried into his sister's hair.

'She's not gone yet, Fiyero,' whispered Glinda. 'We can still save her.'

'She might even just wake up again in a few hours,' added Cyara, and Fiyero looked up at both of them with a tear-streaked face. 'But that's not…' He took a deep breath. 'She… I just…'

'I know, Fiyero,' said Glinda, moving over to him and giving him a hug as well. 'I know. It sounded like a goodbye and that must feel awful… but it wasn't, Fiyero. It wasn't goodbye. Not for any of us. Because we're going to save her. We _have _to save her.'

He nodded faintly, composing himself. He took Elphaba to their bedroom again, where she would be much more comfortable, and Glinda and Cyara bent over their spell books again, more determined than ever now to find a way to reverse Morrible's horrible spell.

They kept going as the afternoon slowly changed into evening, and the sun set… until Fiyero suddenly staggered into the room, his face ashen and his shoulders slumped. 'She's not waking up,' he whispered, his voice breaking. 'She should have woken up hours ago, and I tried everything… but she won't wake up.'

* * *

**Dum dum duuuuuum.**

**Review please! :D**


	19. Chapter 19 Spells

**AN: Wow, you really blew me away with your reviews! Thank you so much! **

**xXStefyXx: Never.**

**Zelda rules: Thank you so much! :)**

**Failey: Your review made me laugh :P. Like, really. 'Go back to your fish bowl where you belong'? LOL (hey, perhaps I'll do the Morrible Hunters next... starring yet another Wicked song with your lyrics. Could you make one Wicked song into a Morrible Hunters song?). And yes, Rapunzel is awesome (so is Merida from Brave, btw) :). I love badass princesses. **

**Bubble: Again, never. It's very much okay *evil cackle*.**

**LunaSibuna: Yes, I write Shadows :P. Thanks! I hope your friend sends you this update soon :).**

**PrincessKadenceOfMusic: Mwahahaha, I love doing that to people *smirk*. And now I feel like killing off Elphie and leaving Fiyero alive, just to annoy you. Yes, I am an evil person. Positively wicked.**

**Lily: Oh, yes, it is very much okay. And because you ask so nicely... here's the next update :3.**

**Elphiesglinda: Yes I can. Mwahahaha.**

**Fae Tiggular: Again, I love doing that to people :D. And Dads don't understand fanfiction. Tell me about it.**

**Elphaba'sGirl: I didn't have this chapter written already, but I wrote it today :P. Wouldn't want to be responsible for you passing out because you didn't sleep.**

**Elphaba-WWW: I'll never stop writing cliffies. You know that. MWAHAHAHAHA.**

**theHAPPYobsessedwickedfan3611: YESYESYESYESYESYESYES. JUST YES! MWHAHAHA.**

**BlueD: Your faith might just be misplaced. MWAHAHAHA AGAIN. I seem to do a lot of evil cackles in this AN. And wow, this AN is long.**

* * *

**Chapter 19. Spells**

'Fellow Ozians,' began Glinda in a quivering voice, forcing herself to smile at her people, but it looked more like a grimace, she knew. She took a deep breath. 'Not too long ago, I was standing here, on this same balcony, to ask you to please reconsider everything you'd heard about the Wicked Witch of the West so far. I told you she wasn't wicked at all; on the contrary, that she was my best friend… and I introduced her to you.'

The Ozians looked up at her expectantly, clearly not sure where this was going. Glinda took another breath. 'Now, I need your help,' she said solemnly, letting her gaze drift over the people. 'Elphie… she's sick. Madame Morrible has placed a spell upon her before she died… I won't go into details here, but Elphie is currently unconscious and we're not expecting her to wake up again.' She managed to choke that part out without crying, which she hadn't thought possible until now. 'Not unless we do something. Soon.'

Tumult erupted from the crowd, and Glinda held up one hand to silence the people. 'If you know someone with magical powers,' she said, her voice slowly growing stronger with every word, 'anyone at all, please send them to me. Right now, I need all the help I can get to save my friend. I almost lost her once. I'm not losing her again.'

The people all saw the intensity in her blue eyes, and they muttered softly to each other. Suddenly, a man spoke up.

'My Aunt has studied Sorcery when she was younger. She might be able to help you. I'll write her as soon as possible and send her to you.'

'I think my cousin said she was interested in sorcery, too,' chimed in a young woman. 'I'll write to her right away!'

Glinda managed a watery smile. 'Thank you for your help,' she said softly, before retreating inside the manor again. She exhaled slowly and fanned her face with her hand.

Athul appeared behind her and rubbed her shoulders. 'I think that went well.'

'I just hope it will be enough,' muttered Glinda, pushing a blonde curl from her face and straightening her back. 'And that help will come in time for Elphie… Why didn't I think of doing this before?' she suddenly burst out, infuriated with herself. 'If I thought of asking the Ozians for help before, there might still have been time… Now, I'm scared that it'll be too late,' she whispered, turning around to face Athul. 'She's not waking up, Athul. At least that means she's not in pain anymore, but it also means that the spell is reaching its end point, and that she… that Elphie…'

'Ssh,' said Athul soothingly, rubbing the blonde's back. 'I know. I know, Glinda.'

'Glinda?' Cyara asked from the doorway, and Glinda disengaged herself from Athul. 'Yes?'

The princess hesitated, then asked, 'That doctor… could you get him here again?'

That immediately sent Glinda into a frenzy. 'What? Why? Is her condition changing? Is she dying? Cyara? Please tell me she's not dying! Oh my Oz, Elphie is dying!' she rambled, and Cyara quickly moved over to the other blonde and grasped her shoulders, forcing Glinda to look at her. 'Glinda. Her condition isn't changing, okay? She's not dying. Calm down.' She spoke in a soft, but firm voice, and Glinda took a few deep breaths to calm herself. 'Okay. Not dying. Yes. Great. Perfect. Got it.'

'Then what do you need the doctor for?' asked Athul, since Glinda still seemed too overwhelmed to ask the question that was on her lips. Cyara hesitated again. 'I'm not sure… I mean, I'm not a doctor, obviously. Not even a medicine student yet. But… I thought I noticed… something, and I want a real doctor to check it out… just to be sure.'

'What did you notice, Cyara?' Athul pressed, but Glinda shushed him. 'Never mind that – it doesn't matter. Whatever it is, I'll get that doctor, Cy. Don't worry.' She turned and left the room, her light blue skirts swirling around her as she quickly descended the stairs and told a maid to send for the doctor immediately.

Cyara, meanwhile, went back to the bedroom, where Fiyero sat staring at Elphaba's face, lost in thought. When he heard Cyara enter, he looked up and offered her a weary smile. 'Hey.'

'Hi.' Cyara moved to the end of the bed to have a better look at the green girl. Her face was a paler shade of green than usual and a thin layer of sweat covered her forehead. She definitely didn't look healthy, Cyara thought with a pang. She wished there was something she could do, but none of them could do anything and they all knew it.

'How is she?' she asked Fiyero quietly, and he shrugged, moving his hand over his face for a moment, rubbing his eyes. 'The same.'

'Has she even moved?' asked Cyara, sitting herself down in the window seat to stare at the green girl, and Fiyero shook his head. 'Not a muscle ever since she fell unconscious yesterday. It's almost like she's paralysed or something… she doesn't react to anything – sound, touch, nothing. If I didn't know better, I'd think she's already…' He swallowed with visible difficulty, then curled up in his chair again, hugging himself. 'No, she hasn't moved,' he answered his sister's question curtly.

Cyara nodded thoughtfully. 'I wonder… but the doctor will find that out,' she dismissed her thought, sighing. 'Can I do anything for you, Yero?'

He gave her a tired smile and shook his head. 'No, thanks, Cy.'

'Are you sure? When have you last eaten anything?' she asked pointedly, and he gazed up at her irritably. 'I don't remember, okay?' he snapped. 'How can you expect me to eat right now?'

'You have to,' his sister insisted. 'I know you don't feel like eating right now, but you have to keep your strengths up. For Elphaba. You and Glinda are just alike, you know that? I happen to know that Athul gave her this same pep talk only a few days ago. I understand you're hurting and you're scared, but you can't give up. Take care of yourself, Yero, for Oz's sake. Or don't – I don't really care, but I do know that when she wakes up again and sees you like this, you're going to regret not listening to me.'

She smirked slightly at him, but he stared at her. Always the optimist, his little sister, wasn't she? It hadn't escaped his attention that she'd said '_when_ she wakes up', not '_if _she wakes up'. She was always like that. Sure, he had been through his brainless dancing-through-life phase himself, in which he didn't care for anything – or pretended not to, anyway; but deep down, he was a brooder. He always worried about everything, whereas Cyara always kept a firm belief that things would be alright again. Her optimism could be extremely annoying at times, but there were also many times, like right now, that he was grateful for her being this way. Her steady belief in a happy ending was something he could hold on to and use to get himself together again in times of crisis. Like he did now.

He rose from his chair to hug her. 'Thanks, Cyara,' he whispered in her hair, and she let out a small, slightly unnerved laugh. 'What for?' Her brother almost never spontaneously hugged her, and he certainly didn't thank her too often – she wasn't even sure what she had done that she could be thanked for.

He sighed. 'For being here. For having faith,' he said quietly, and she kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair. 'Any time, big brother.'

* * *

The pain was excruciating.

She remembered saying goodbye to everyone. She remembered passing out after that, and she remembered waking up again… but the moment she'd woken up, she'd realised something was wrong. She couldn't open her eyes, no matter how hard she tried. The pain was back, rippling through her body in horrible waves of agony, but she couldn't move, she couldn't even scream. All she could do was lie still and endure it, but it lasted and it lasted, until the point where she wasn't sure it would ever stop again.

After a while, she started to grow accustomed to the pain. It was still there, excruciating and stabbing, but she became aware of other things, too, now. The pain overwhelmed any sense of touch she might have had – she assumed she was in a bed again, but she couldn't feel the mattress beneath her or the pressure of the blankets. She could, however, pick up sounds now. Mostly voices. She recognised Fiyero, Cyara, Glinda, and Athul, and it didn't take her too long to figure out what was going on. A memory surfaced.

'…_the spell paralyses you completely. Everything. You can't move a muscle, you can't blink your eyes… The best part of it, though, is that you'll be conscious the entire time.'_

The only difference with the spell Morrible had used on her back then, was that she actually _was _able to breathe now. But everything else was exactly the same. She couldn't move at all, she couldn't even wiggle a finger or open her eyes; her body was breathing on its own, ragged, shallow breaths, but she couldn't control it. She couldn't control anything. A growing sense of dread washed over her. Morrible must have found a way to combine the paralysing spell and the torture spell, or something… She wasn't sure how the old hag had done that, but one thing was for sure: this was all part of it. Morrible had always wanted to see Elphaba in pain, and now she had her wish. Completely paralysed and in excruciating pain – that was about the worst torture you could bestow upon someone, wasn't it?

The sense of dread grew. _But what if this wasn't all of it? _Until now, they had all thought that Morrible wanted to _kill _the green girl – make her suffer and then kill her off. But what if that hadn't been Morrible's intention at all?

What if the spell didn't kill her and she would spend the rest of her life like this?

She couldn't do that. She was only twenty-two; it wasn't unthinkable that she'd live for another fifty years or so. Was she supposed to spend half a century paralysed and in pain? No. She wouldn't. She couldn't. And she couldn't put Glinda and Fiyero through that, either. If that really had been Morrible's intention when she cast the spell, and they found no way to reverse it… she rather wanted to die.

But how could she tell them? They probably didn't even know she was conscious. They didn't know what was going on and she couldn't let them know. She was trapped. Trapped inside her own treacherous body.

* * *

'Hm… that's odd,' the doctor muttered, pulling up Elphaba's eyelids and shining a bright light into her eyes. Cyara was watching him vigilantly, eager to know if her suspicion was right. 'What is?'

The doctor switched off the light and pulled back. 'Her pupils react normally, and… this may sound strange, but… she even seemed to follow my finger with her eyes.'

Cyara held her breath. 'That means…'

The doctor nodded, frowning. 'Yes. I… I think she's conscious.'

Everyone gaped at him and Fiyero leapt to his feet, choking out, '_What_?!'

'She's conscious,' the doctor repeated, wrinkling his brow in confusion. 'I'm not sure how that's possible, but, well, if it's magic, like you said, Lady Glinda… She's awake. I'm not sure why she can't move – the spell must have paralysed her.'

Glinda looked at Cyara in amazement. 'Was that what you wanted to tell me this morning?'

Cyara nodded. 'I suspected it. I tried that same thing, shining into her eyes with a light to check her reaction, this morning; and I also thought that I saw her following me with her eyes then. I just wasn't sure if I was right – like I said, my medical experience is extremely minimal.'

'Wow,' breathed Glinda. 'So… she can hear us?' She ran over to the bedside and pulled up Elphaba's eyelid, staring into her friend's eye. 'Elphie? Can you hear me?'

'Even if she can, it's not like she can answer you, Glin,' pointed out Cyara, and the blonde's face fell. 'Right.' She gingerly opened Elphaba's eyes, studying them for any kind of reaction. She thought she saw minimal movement there, but she wasn't sure. 'So what do we do now?' she wanted to know.

Fiyero was sitting next to the bed, gently stroking Elphaba's hair away from her face. 'Oh, Fae…' he whispered. Then he started crying.

Cyara was with him in a clock-tick, wrapping her arms around him in an attempt to comfort him. 'We'll find a solution, Yero,' she whispered. 'We will, I promise.'

He just buried his face in her shoulder and cried.

Athul quietly left the room to show the doctor out, while Glinda was watching the green girl intently. 'She's in pain,' she whispered. 'I can see it in her eyes.'

Cyara threw her a warning look and Glinda snapped, 'Yes, well, I'm _sorry _if that upsets Fiyero, but it's not something we can ignore, is it? Do you think _I _like this? Seeing my best friend in pain? I'm not going to lie to any of you about it.'

'Are you sure?' asked Athul, who had returned to the room, softly, laying one hand on her shoulder to calm her down. 'I mean, how can you tell that she's in pain?'

She gazed at him. 'She's been my best friend for years, Athul. I've seen her in pain before. I know how that looks. Trust me – she's in pain right now.'

Suddenly, she gasped. 'Wait a clock-tick. What if this is exactly what Morrible wanted?'

* * *

Elphaba felt like hugging her best friend when she heard Glinda exclaim her thought out loud. _Yes, Glinda! Yes! That's it! _She was amazed at her friends' ability to see through everything. First Cyara had seen that she was still conscious, and now Glinda was drawing the same conclusions she herself had drawn before.

Thankfully, her eyes were open now; and though she could not move them from side to side completely, she found that she could, to some extent, move them. She followed her blonde friend with her eyes as Glinda started pacing, thinking out loud.

'Think about it,' she said. 'Elphie is paralysed… and she's in pain. What if _this _was what Morrible wanted? Not to kill her, but to… torture her? For the rest of her life?'

'You mean… You mean she'll _stay _like this? Forever?' Fiyero choked out, and Elphaba's heart broke at the desperate tone of his voice. Oh, how she wished she could just hold him right now…

'Not if it's up to us,' said Glinda firmly. She sighed. 'I just wish we could talk to her…'

'Could there be a spell for that?' suggested Cyara. 'I don't know… so that we can read her mind, or something?'

Glinda perked up. 'Yes! Yes, I think there might be such a spell! Oh my Oz, Cyara, you're a genius!' she squealed before running off to find a spell book.

She came back and immediately started chanting, not wanting to waste any time. 'Ah Leh Coagmentum, Vox Amicum Seh Nax!'

_Did it work?_

Glinda gasped when she heard a voice in her head. 'Elphie?' Everyone else was staring at the blonde in apprehension.

_Yes._

Glinda squealed. 'Oh my Oz, it worked! It worked! She can talk to me through her thoughts!'

'Can you cast the spell on me, too?' asked Fiyero eagerly, but Glinda shook her head. 'I'm sorry, Fifi. You'd have to cast the spell on yourself, and you don't have magic powers… it wouldn't work on you.' She turned to face her friend on the bed. _Elphie? _she said in her mind. _How are you feeling?_

_Like I've ended up in hell._

Glinda exhaled slowly, speaking out loud again without even really noticing it. 'I was right, wasn't I? About Morrible, and what she did to you… about you being in pain?'

She tried to shut out everyone's anxious eyes directed at her and concentrated on Elphaba's reply. There was silence for a moment, but then she spoke again. _Yes. You were right. Or, well… I think you were. I'm not sure what Morrible's intentions were, naturally, but I think that this was what she had in mind. _It sounded a bit blurry, probably because Elphaba was in so much pain, but Glinda understood her nonetheless.

'Oh, Elphie…' the blonde girl whispered. The others, of course, only heard one end of the conversation, but that was enough for them to understand what was going on.

Fiyero buried his face in Elphaba's hair, crying again, and Glinda watched him with tears in her eyes. Fiyero had always been the strong one; he had been her rock, back when they were still together after Elphaba had defied the Wizard, and he had been Elphaba's rock after that, whenever he was needed. He was the one they could always rely on.

But even he had a breaking point, and he'd reached it now. Glinda heaved a shaky sigh.

_Glin?_

Her eyes snapped towards her friend on the bed.

_Please tell him not to worry. _

'He has every reason to worry, Elphie.'

_I know. But I don't want him to. And you neither. Glinda… please._

Glinda crossed the room to stand at the end of Elphaba's bed. She could feel the deep chocolate brown eyes following her every move, and she smiled slightly. 'Oh, Elphie… We'll find a solution,' she promised. 'We'll go on forever if we have to.'

_I don't want you to._

That startled the blonde. 'What?'

_You can't go on like this forever, Glin. There's no counter spell – we've looked for it already._

'We'll look harder,' insisted Glinda, her voice rising in pitch, but Elphaba's voice in her head cut her off. _Please, Glin. You know as well as I do that there is no counter spell. I'm trapped. She's got me. And I don't want you guys wasting the rest of your lives trying to help me._

Glinda grew angry. She placed her hands on either side of Elphaba's feet and said in a low voice, with blazing eyes, 'Now you listen to me very carefully, Elphaba Thropp. We _will _find a solution and we _will _reverse this spell, if it's the last damn thing we do! You are not giving up!'

Complete silence filled the room. None of them had ever heard Glinda curse before and it had stunned them about just as much as the implications of Glinda's words. 'She's giving up?' whispered Cyara, and Fiyero shook his head frantically. 'No. No, she's not. She can't be. Do you hear me, Fae? You _cannot _give up!'

'Listen to him, Elphie,' Glinda said sternly. 'We _will _help you, whether you like it or not.'

Elphaba, however, had clearly made up her mind. _I won't let you._

Glinda let out a rather frightening sound that no one had ever imagined she could create – something between a sob, a laugh, and a cackle. 'I hate to say this, Elphie, but there's not much you can do to stop us in your current condition.'

Elphaba was silent for a while and Glinda sighed. 'Elphie…'

_It's not that I _want _to give up, Glin. _The voice in her head was soft and Glinda had to concentrate to understand it. _I don't. I want to keep fighting… but I can't. Glin, it hurts so much… you have no idea... _The voice had lowered to a whisper now. _It's awful. It's like never-ending torture. Please, Glinda… just end it for me. _She was almost begging now. _I can't do this, I just can't… it hurts too much. Glinda, please just… just kill me now. Please._

Glinda was crying now, but she was still determined as ever. 'No!' she shouted, leaping to her feet and yelling at the top of her lungs. 'No, Elphaba, I'm _not _going to kill you! I'm not! I know you're in an awful lot of pain, but you can't ask that of me!'

Now they were all crying – except for Athul, who merely took turns comforting everyone. Fiyero crawled on the bed with the green girl, cradling her in his arms and holding her body close against him. 'Fae, please…' he begged. 'Please hold on. For me. I can't lose you…'

Glinda, naturally, was the only one that could hear Elphaba's soft reply to that, and it made her cry all over again. 'She says…' She swallowed and closed her eyes for a moment before looking back up at Fiyero. 'She says you already have.'

They all knew that was true, of course. Elphaba was still here, physically, but that was about it. She was conscious, but she couldn't communicate with anyone except for Glinda. With a pang, the blonde realised that her friend _was_, indeed, pretty much lost to them.

'Give us a week,' said Glinda pleadingly, looking into her friend's eyes. 'Please. Give us a week to find a solution. If nothing's changed by then, if we can't do anything…' She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, then exhaled audibly. 'Then I'll do as you ask.'

Cyara stared at her with wide eyes and Fiyero gasped. 'Glinda! No!' he cried. 'You can't do that! You can't promise her that!'

'She's suffering, Fiyero!' the blonde yelled back at him. 'You can't do this to her! You can't expect from her that she'll live the rest of her life in this kind of pain! Just _look _at her! You can't possibly want this kind of life for her!'

He lowered his head. 'I don't,' he whispered, and Glinda calmed down a bit.

_Glin?_

The blonde looked at her friend again. 'Do we have a deal, Elphie?'

_A week is so long… I'm not sure if I can hold on for that long._

'Please try, Elphie,' Glinda said, a soft look in her eyes. 'Please. For me, for Cyara…'

_Glin… _

'For Fiyero.'

She knew that was the winning argument, and she was right. Elphaba gave in. _Fine. One week._

'Thank you, Elphie,' the blonde said softly, and the others knew that they had won.

'Athul, Cyara,' Glinda said, straightening up as she switched in a clock-tick from Elphaba's scared best friend to Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Ruler of Oz. 'I need your help. Every person with an ounce of magic in their body will be sent to my home, to see if they can help; and I need you to help me talk to them to figure out if they really can be of any help to us. If you think they can't, send them back home; if you think they can, write down their name and I'll have them called back in tomorrow to see for myself. Ask them if they have any spell books or magic books, and if they do, ask them to bring the books to us. We need all the help we can get.'

'And me?' asked Fiyero quietly. 'Is there anything I can do?' She could see in his eyes that really, he just wanted to stay with Elphaba; but she also knew that he would do anything to help.

She also knew, however, without even having to ask Elphaba, how her best friend would _really _want him to help. 'Stay with her,' Glinda told him simply. 'Stay with her, talk to her and hold her. She needs you to pull her through this entire week of agony right now.'

He simply nodded and did as he was told, and Glinda left the room in a flurry of blue skirts, desperately praying that all of their efforts would pay off.

* * *

**Dum dum duuuuum again.**

**I wanted to tell you guys something, but I don't remember what. OH YEAH I was watching the Disney movie of Beauty and the Beast the other day (my favourite) and my mind went totally Fiyeraba on them. Like, Fiyero/Beast being arrogant at first and Elphaba/Belle getting mad with them and calling them to order, and then they fall in love. And then I saw that the music was composed by Alan Menken, who worked with Stephen Schwarz, who, as we all know, composed the music for Wicked. AAAAAAH.**

**Yep, I'm bored. Can you tell? Going to work on Shadows now.**


	20. Chapter 20 Magic

**AN: Let all Oz be agreed, I'm wicked through and through... Mwahahahaha.**

**Thank you all SO much for the reviews. I don't think I've ever had this many reviews on a chapter of one of my stories (except for the chapter before this one, perhaps). And someone recommended me as a Fiyeraba writer on Tumblr? :O Seriously... I'm speechless. I don't know what to say. I'm not even on Tumblr myself, and to know that someone recommended me (and Bubble, who is also an amazing writer!)... Just... wow.**

**I love how I made half of you cry and the other half of you go murderous on me :D. I'm not sure if this chapter will cheer you up or not. I suppose it will, partly... but since I'm leaving you with another cliffie (another one I plucked out of thin air - I think my mind made it rather complicated, all in all, but I just didn't want this story to end yet...), I guess you won't be _totally _happy. **

**By the way, I also loved that I managed to traumatise you with pie in Love is all you need :D. And Stefy; I did try that once, write a complete story before posting it instead of writing while posting. I tried it with Shadows. I quit halfway through chapter 2 and posted chapter 1 anyway. The point with me is this: your reviews literally give me the inspiration I need to write another chapter. Without reviews, I just sit there staring at my screen, wondering what'll happen next. I don't know, I just can't do that :P. **

* * *

**Chapter 20. Magic**

In the days that followed, Glinda brought in dozens of people who were supposedly blessed, or cursed, with the gift of sorcery – _literally _dozens. She talked to them, borrowed their spell books, had them perform certain spells on Elphie, but none of them even had any effect.

Glinda was determined and desperate to cure her friend before the week was up; she was up all night long reading spell books, along with Cyara and Athul, and they only took turns napping for a few hours before springing back to action again. They would have time to rest when the week was up – no matter what would happen then. Now, however, they needed to focus and try their hardest.

'It's not enough,' said Glinda sadly after yet another unsuccessful sorcerer had left. 'Even if we _did _have a spell to counter Morrible's… I doubt it would work. We'd need an amount of magic that equals Morrible's own powers, or even outranks them, and where would we get that? Elphie herself is the only one whose magic is about as powerful as that old hag's, but she's clearly in no condition to use hers.'

'Are you sure about that?' asked Cyara, flipping through the pages of a spell book. 'I mean, she might not be able to chant the words, but wouldn't saying them in her mind be enough?'

Glinda shook her head. 'Even if that would work, magic takes a lot of energy,' she explained to the younger girl. 'Perhaps if she was at her strongest, it might work. But in her current condition, she will never be able to call for enough magic… it wouldn't be of any use.'

Cyara sighed and dropped her head on the table. 'We can't give up.'

'No, we can't,' agreed Glinda softly. 'And we won't.'

They all looked up when Fiyero entered the room. Both blondes gave him a weary smile. 'Hey,' said Cyara, and Fiyero returned the smile half-heartedly. 'Hey.' He lowered himself into a chair and Cyara went back to her book as Glinda asked, 'How is she?'

'Still asleep,' replied Fiyero. Since Elphaba was in so much pain when awake, Glinda had cast the sleeping spell again. It would only work for a few hours at once, but it least it would give Elphaba that long without pain. It was the only way in which she could help her friend right now.

Glinda nodded and read through the final pages of the book in front of her, then smashed it shut and threw it across the room. It crashed against a wall and fell onto the floor with a loud thump. 'It's no use!' the blonde girl fumed, rising to her feet and starting to pace the room. 'Those books aren't nearly powerful enough for any of this. Oz dammit, Morrible, you old hag!' she screamed up at the ceiling, waving one clenched fist in the air. 'If only there was a spell to get me into the afterlife, I'd go up there to murder you right now! Rip your eyes out of their sockets and stuff them down your throat! Chop off your limbs and beat you to death with them! If you were still alive, I'd cast your own spell on you, then bury you alive and dance on your grave!'

The men exchanged a slightly worried look. They were baffled – they'd never seen the petite blonde this enraged before. 'Glin?' tried Athul, but she didn't even hear him, just kept on fuming.

'I'll work you with a spiked club until you bleed to death! Hang your body in the middle of the Emerald Square for everyone to see! I'll have the Wizard's stupid mechanical head eat you alive! No, actually, right now _I _want to eat you alive!'

'Glinda!' Athul exclaimed in horror, and the blonde looked up at him and snapped, '_What_?!'

Fiyero gently laid one hand on her shoulder and steered her towards Athul. 'This isn't you, Glin,' he said quietly. 'Don't do this to yourself.'

Glinda's lower lip was trembling now. 'But- but what she did to Elphie…'

Cyara quietly snuck out of the room, sensing the old friends needed some time alone right now. She went to check up on Elphaba, but couldn't tell anything about her current condition, besides that she was still alive – judging by the rapid rising and falling of her chest.

'I wish I could talk to you, too,' she told the green girl, plopping down into a chair and carefully opening Elphaba's eyes, searching them for any kind of reaction. The spell book Glinda had used was on the nightstand and the girl picked it up and stared at the words. 'This was the spell, wasn't it?' She sighed. 'I don't even know how to pronounce the words. I mean, 'Ah Leh' is easy enough, but how in Oz do you pronounce 'Coagmentum'? Is that even a word?'

She tilted her head a little to the side and studied the words. 'Ah Leh Coagmentum, Vox Amicum Seh Nax. Huh. Doesn't make sense to me at all, and I was taught six different languages during my high school years.'

_I bet they didn't teach you a lost language, though._

'No, you're right about that,' Cyara mused as she closed the book and put it back on the nightstand. 'Though I'm not sure if this _is _a lost language… is it? I thought only the Grimmerie was written in a lost language… But then again, I assume there is more than one lost language.' She sighed. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to babble at you… I'm not sure you're even awake, but… wait a minute.' She frowned, then gaped at the green girl. '_Wait a minute_. Did you just say something?'

The voice in her head sounded stunned. _You… you heard that?_

'Yes,' said Cyara slowly. 'Yes, I heard that. Oh my Oz. What does this mean?'

_It means_, Elphaba said in her head, and Cyara couldn't help but notice the proud undertone in her voice, _that you have magic powers, kid. Otherwise the spell wouldn't have worked._

'Magic powers?' Cyara repeated, feeling like a five-year-old on Lurlinemas morning for a moment – filled with wonder and amazement. 'Me?'

_Apparently. _

'Does that mean Fiyero has them, too?'

_Not necessarily. It doesn't have to run in the family; sometimes someone spontaneously develops powers. And no one else in your family is magical, right?_

'That's true,' said Cyara, feeling jittery and a little light-headed. 'Oh my Oz… Magic powers… Me!'

_I told you you would do great things, kid._

'So you did…' Cyara mused, then, slowly, her eyes lit up and a radiant grin lit up her face. 'So you did!' she exclaimed. 'And I'm going to start doing great things right this instant!'

_That's the spirit. _Cyara caught the tone of amusement in the witch's voice. _Though how, may I ask, were you planning to do so?_

'Just stay put,' Cyara told her sternly. 'I'll be right back. Don't move.'

_You're joking, right?_

Cyara faltered, then flashed her completely paralysed friend an apologetic grin. 'Sorry.' Then she bolted from the room, skidding to a stop in the sitting room. 'Glinda!' she exclaimed, bouncing up and down. 'Glinda, is it possible to combine the powers of several persons?'

Glinda furrowed her brow. 'Combining powers… it's possible,' she admitted, 'but it's quite complicated. You see, the persons whose powers are combined must share a strong bond, almost reading each other's minds, or the spell they try to perform wouldn't work. It's actually a pretty good idea, Cyara, only I don't know very many witches or sorcerers with whom I share such a bond… not to mention that we have no idea what spell to perform if-'

'But,' Cyara interrupted the other blonde, nearly overflowing with excitement, 'I also read, in one of those other spell books, that sometimes, it is possible to use magic without performing a spell. To use _pure _magic. Remember? I read the passage to you and you said that it might work, but that we'd need enough power to exceed the power behind Morrible's spell, and we didn't have that.'

'True,' said Glinda slowly, starting to comprehend where the other girl was going with this, but still not quite getting it. 'But Cyara, I don't… would you mind telling me what you're thinking about?' Glinda demanded, and the Vinkun princess leaned closer to her. 'Glinda… I just accidentally cast the spell you used to be able to communicate with Elphaba,' she said solemnly, and Glinda just looked at her blankly. 'So? I'm not assuming anything happened, since you don't have magic powers-'

'But I do!' Cyara interrupted her again, and not just Glinda, but Fiyero and Athul as well stared at the small blonde girl. 'What?' Fiyero choked out, and Cyara nodded enthusiastically. 'It worked, Glinda! The spell worked! I can communicate with Elphaba now! She thinks I must have some magic powers, or the spell wouldn't have worked!'

Now, the spark slowly returned to Glinda's eyes. 'So you're saying, perhaps yours and mine magic combined…' she began, but Cyara shook her head. 'Not just ours, Glinda. Elphaba's as well.'

Glinda looked puzzled. 'But-'

'She's not as strong as she could be,' Cyara conceded. 'But her magic is still present, right? I'm assuming she can use it – to some extent, at least. We all share that bond you were talking about, I would say, and if we combine Elphaba's now limited magic with yours and my own…'

Glinda's breath hitched in her throat for a moment; then she jumped to her feet and enveloped the princess in a giant hug. 'Cyara,' she declared, happier than she'd sounded for the past weeks, 'you are a _genius_!'

Cyara curtsied mockingly. 'Why, thank you.'

'I don't understand,' declared Athul, and Fiyero shook his head, speechless. 'I'm not sure I do, either.'

'Come on, Fifi!' Glinda called over her shoulder as she and Cyara made their way towards the bedroom. 'We're going to cure Elphie!'

* * *

They all gathered in the bedroom and Glinda and Cyara slowly explained the entire plan to Elphaba – and to Fiyero and Athul, who finally got it, too, after the explanation – careful not to omit any details. When they were done, it was silent for a while, but then Elphaba said slowly in both their minds, _I'm not sure if it will work… but I suppose it's worth a try, isn't it?_

'Of course it is!' exclaimed Cyara, and she sat herself down at the edge of the bed. Glinda settled for the other edge and the two blonde girls each took one of Elphaba's hands, then grabbed each other's hands as well. 'Ready?' asked Glinda, and Cyara nodded a bit tensely. 'Ready.'

They closed their eyes and focused. Cyara concentrated hard on the sole purpose they wanted to accomplish – releasing Elphaba from the curse Morrible was holding her in – and she could feel both Elphaba and Glinda doing the same. It was a very odd feeling; it felt like their minds slowly melted together, as if the three of them shared one mind, and she felt a strange sense of power wash over her and through her, coursing through her veins in rhythm with the pounding of her heart. She could feel Glinda and Elphaba's heartbeats as well, falling into pace with her own, and she squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. Soon, she could not tell where she stopped and the other two girls began; they shared one mind, one thought, one heartbeat… one giant, crushing wave of power. The pressure was building, slowly… but just then, something happened that wasn't part of the plan.

Cyara caught an image flickering in her mind. It wasn't something she imagined herself and she could tell it wasn't Glinda, either; it came from Elphaba. It was an image of Morrible, and though the girl wasn't sure what it meant, exactly, she knew that it wasn't good.

As if they really did read each other's minds, they all let go at the same time, and Cyara gasped as the power left her body, leaving her feeling completely drained and exhausted, but excited at the same time. 'Wow,' she breathed. 'That was… intense.'

Glinda was actually panting, but her face was frantic. 'Did you see that?'

'Yes.' Cyara stared at her with wide eyes. 'You saw it, too? I thought I was imagining it…'

Glinda shook her head. 'It was Elphie.' Suddenly, she grew angry. 'It was Elphie!' she cried. 'Oz dammit, Elphaba Thropp!'

'What?' demanded Fiyero anxiously. 'What's wrong?'

'What did it mean, Glin?' asked Cyara quietly, and Glinda gestured towards the bed, sinking down into a chair and burying her face in her hands. 'See for yourself.'

They all stared at Elphaba. Fiyero grabbed her now free hand, squeezing it. 'Fae?' he asked hopefully, but no response came.

Suddenly, Cyara's eyes widened. 'She… Oh my Oz, she's not breathing,' she said in complete shock, and now they all looked at the green girl in horror. Cyara was right – the rapid rising and falling of her chest had ceased, her lips slowly turning blue. She wasn't breathing. Elphaba wasn't breathing.

'Oh my Oz, this is my fault,' whispered Cyara, horrified with herself. 'It must have been the magic… it was too much on her, and now I… I killed her!'

Glinda shook her head. 'No,' she said tiredly. 'This isn't because of the magic… or, well, it is, but she did this herself. Did you feel what she was trying to do?'

Cyara shook her head, dumbfounded. 'I felt _something_, but… I wasn't sure what it meant.'

Glinda sighed. 'She tried to transport herself to Morrible,' she said almost inaudibly. 'To wherever it is that Morrible is right now.'

Cyara stared at her in incomprehension. 'But… but Morrible is dead!'

Glinda nodded grimly. 'Exactly.'

'She killed herself?' asked Cyara in horror, and Glinda nodded again, tears shimmering in her cobalt blue eyes. 'I think so.'

'No!' The sound that escaped from Fiyero's throat was almost a howl, as he threw himself onto the bed, cradling Elphaba's limp form in his arms. 'No…'

'Fiyero…' Glinda tried, but he was beyond reach now. His eyes were unseeing as he gently rocked her back and forth. He wasn't even aware of the presence of his friends anymore; his mind was solely focused on Elphaba. He couldn't believe it. This couldn't be it, this could not be the end. It just couldn't be.

* * *

_A loud cackle sent chills down Elphaba's spine. 'So you finally figured it out, dearie? I must say, I wasn't sure you would.'_

'_I'm smarter than you think,' said Elphaba calmly, turning around to face the woman that haunted her nightmares. 'Though I only realised it just in time.'_

_Morrible's eyes gleamed maliciously as she stepped closer. 'Do tell me what you found out, dearie.'_

_Elphaba spoke slowly, her gaze fixed on Morrible, but inwardly focused on her own thoughts. 'What we were trying to do, Glinda and Cyara and I… it wouldn't have worked. It wouldn't have worked because you were dead. Your death fixed the spell, didn't it? Your death made it unbreakable. I must say I'm impressed - it must have been one complicated spell.'_

'_Oh, it was, dearie,' Morrible grunted, clearly satisfied with Elphaba's reasoning. 'It was. And you're right.' She paused for a moment._

'_If you'd have found out that I cast a binding spell on you _before _I died, you might have been able to counter it,' she said. 'But my death didn't just trigger the spell; it also locked it. Secured it. As you said, made it unbreakable. You could have used all the magic in the world to cast all the spells you could find, but you would never have been able to break it... not for as long as I was still dead.'_

_Elphaba nodded calmly. 'Clever. So in order to break the spell, and thus save myself… I have to bring you back from the dead.'_

_Morrible's eyes were shimmering with triumph and victory. 'Exactly.'_

_It had been a smart plan, Elphaba thought to herself. She'd read about these kinds of spells once. Normally, when a person would die, the spells that they still held over other people, would die with them. So someone invented a way to 'fix' a spell; to make the magic last even after the sorcerer who had cast the spell, was gone. An unbreakable spell… by going after Morrible, allowing her to be killed, she had signed her own death warrant. Or… torture warrant. Whatever. _

_And, she knew, Morrible had counted on her figuring it out. This was Morrible's way to secure her own life. Elphaba had to make a choice now: she could either leave Morrible in the afterlife, where she couldn't hurt anyone, while she herself would go back to her paralysed body to either suffer the pain forever or let Glinda kill her… or she could resurrect Morrible and break the spell that had been cast on her. She would be free, alive, moving, and without pain, but Morrible would be on the loose again._

'_What makes you think I can even do that?' she asked. 'Bring someone back from the dead?'_

_Morrible shook her head. 'Don't fool me, dearie. I took care of that. I know the spell. If you and I say it together, we will both live again.'_

'_And if I'd rather die than resurrect you?'_

_Morrible's eyes darkened. 'You don't.'_

'_How do you know?'_

_A cackle. 'You're not strong enough to do that, dearie,' she hissed. 'You know that as well as I do. Think about Glinda. Your little friend Cyara. Your Prince Fiyero. You wouldn't do that to them.'_

_Elphaba didn't say anything. Morrible was right about that and they both knew it. She hesitated, however._

_Morrible sensed this and tapped her chin in a mock manifestation of thoughtfulness. 'I bet Prince Fiyero would kill himself if you were to die… He's tried that before, hasn't he?'_

'_Okay, fine!' snapped Elphaba. 'Fine! I'll do it! I'll say the damn spell with you!' She stalked over to Morrible and jabbed her finger in the older woman's chest. 'But know, Morrible, that one day, I will bring you down again. And this time it will be for good.'_

_Morrible bowed mockingly. 'I'm looking forward to that day, dearie,' she said ominously. 'Now, repeat after me…'_

* * *

'I can't believe she would do such a thing,' whispered Cyara. 'We were trying to save her, weren't we? I thought she gave us one week… She didn't even say goodbye!'

'Well, believe it,' said Glinda miserably, curling into Athul, who was sitting in the window seat next to her. 'Because it's true.'

Cyara slowly shook her head. 'I don't believe that,' she declared, suddenly firm in her beliefs. 'It doesn't seem right. I think there's something else going on.'

'What?' demanded Glinda in a voice that was even higher than usual because of the tears she was holding back. 'What else could possibly be going on?'

Cyara persisted. 'She didn't think of her own death,' the princess reminded the others. 'The image she pictured was Morrible's.'

'So, what?' Athul asked a bit sceptically. 'She's gone into the afterlife to kick Morrible's ass?'

Cyara threw her hands in the air in exasperation. 'Oh, I don't know!'

Fiyero was still oblivious to everything that was going on around him. All he knew was that he was holding Elphaba in his arms, and she wasn't breathing. He kept staring down at her, as if he could will her to live, to breathe again, but she stayed motionless and limp in his arms.

Then, suddenly, it happened.

She drew a breath.

Fiyero gasped, drawing everyone's attention. 'She breathed!' he choked out. 'She's breathing!'

They all looked at him sympathetically, as if he had completely lost his mind; but just then, Elphaba drew another breath, taking in as much air as her lungs could hold. He felt her stir in his arms as she took in gulps of air, choked on them, and broke into a coughing fit. Fiyero held her and Glinda and Cyara quickly scrambled to either side of her.

Slowly, the coughing subsided, and she opened her eyes. Glinda stared down into them anxiously. 'Elphie? Are you there?'

_Where else would I be? _the green girl answered in her mind, and Glinda squealed. 'Elphie!' Then she frowned. 'Why are you still talking to me in my mind?'

_I just came back from the dead. Give me a little time to recuperate, please?_

Glinda giggled. 'Oh. Yes. Of course.'

Fiyero looked at the blonde expectantly. 'What's she saying?'

Glinda eyed her friend critically. 'She's weak,' she finally said. 'But she's there. She can move. She'll heal.'

'Is your pain gone?' asked Cyara tentatively, and there was a stunned silence for a while as Elphaba blinked her eyes at the Vinkun princess, before answering in her mind, sounding baffled, _Yes._

A broad grin broke through on Cyara's face and she happily squeezed the green girl's hand. 'Really? Oh my Oz, Elphaba! We did it! You're free!'

Elphaba still couldn't do much more but stir slightly and blink at the two girls sitting opposite her, but now, her face fell and Cyara immediately grew vigilant again. 'Elphaba?' she asked cautiously, and the green girl sighed softly. _I'm sorry… I had to do it._

'You're sorry about what, Elphie?' asked Glinda, and Elphaba met her friend's eyes. _In order for us to be able to break the spell she cast on me… I had to pay a price.'_

'Pay a price,' repeated Glinda flatly. 'Why don't I like the sound of that?'

Fiyero's grip on the green girl tightened. 'Fae?'

_Morrible… I had to resurrect her._

'Resurrect her?' Cyara echoed, feeling a bit unnerved. 'What are you saying?'

Elphaba replied to both blondes in her mind, and they exchanged a look that didn't promise much good. Fiyero and Athul watched them apprehensively. 'Glin?' asked Athul cautiously, at the same moment Fiyero said, 'Cyara?'

The girls looked at each other again; then Glinda lowered her eyes and Cyara said quietly, 'Elphaba… she couldn't save herself while Morrible was still dead.'

'So?' asked Athul when she didn't continue right away, and Cyara sighed and fidgeted with a strand of blonde hair. 'So…' She took a deep breath. 'Elphaba is alive and well again – or will be, soon… but so is Madame Morrible.'

* * *

**Any thoughts? :D**


	21. Chapter 21 Together

**AN: So here's the ending of this story:**

**"After that was said and done, BlueD ran into the story somehow and kicked Morrible's big fat butt. After that she stabbed her and Morrible died before she can get to any one in any shape or form. BlueD turned around to face a very shocked Elphaba, Cyara, Glinda, Fiyero, and Athul, smiled and waved, and flew off on a broomstick. THE END."**

**At least, that's the ending of this story according to BlueD. My own ending will be... slightly different :P. Sorry, BlueD.**

**I loved your reviews. You all hate Morrible with such passion... *wipes away proud tear* **

**And yes, Elphaba-WWW, that 'dance on her grave'-part was a small Frex Hunters reference :3. Dancing on graves... **

**But OMG. I feel so incredibly _stupid_ right now. Would you believe me that I didn't do that on purpose - worse even, that I just realised I did it when I read your review? :O I got Cohvu from the Lion King II, of course, but I made up Cyara long before I did Cohvu, and it never even crossed my mind that I just used the names of _both _main characters from the Lion King II, only written Ozian style... *facepalm* *bangs head against wall* **

**Lily: Oh, yes, I do 3:).**

**So thank you all so much... here's an overdose of fluff, ending with a sort-of cliffie - because I can never resist.**

* * *

**Chapter 21. Together**

When Glinda looked up and saw Cyara heading her way, with a certain green-skinned girl leaning on her, she let out an indignant squeal and leapt to her feet. 'What in Oz do you think you're doing?' she demanded.

Elphaba smirked at her friend. 'Gee, it's good to see you, too, Glin,' she said. Her voice was a bit hoarse from lack of use for the past days, but she already looked much better.

Glinda squealed again. 'You're talking!'

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

'But you shouldn't be up yet!' the blonde continued sternly. She glared at the responsible Vinkun princess, who held up a hand in self-proclaimed innocence. 'Hey… I saw that she was awake, and she asked me to take her to you guys.'

'I needed a change of scenery,' explained Elphaba. 'I mean, I've been stuck in that bed for ages – have you ever had the exact same view for days? No? I can assure you, it's not pleasant.'

Glinda giggled. 'I can imagine that.' She hugged her friend. 'I'm so glad you're back, Elphie!'

'Me, too,' said Elphaba with a content sigh. 'You have no idea how wonderful it is to actually be able to move again. Not to mention being pain free.' She smiled at Athul as he came in, and he returned her smile. 'Hey, Elphaba. Welcome back.'

'Thanks.' She pulled away from Glinda. 'Where is Fiyero?'

'I forced him to lie down and sleep,' the blonde said. 'He wanted to stay with you, but you were sleeping, too, and he really needed it – I'm sorry…'

'Oh, no, don't be,' Elphaba waved her away. 'You're right – he needed it. He looked awful.' She studied her friends for a moment. 'So do you, by the way.'

'Gee, thanks,' Cyara and Glinda both said sarcastically at the same time, and Elphaba snickered. 'I'm just kidding. Thank you… so much… for everything you did for me.'

Cyara squeezed her hand and Glinda kissed her cheek. 'You're welcome, silly. We all love you and we wanted to help you… and we'll continue to help you until that awful fish-lady is gone forever!' she declared hotly, making the others chuckle.

'Come on,' Cyara said to the green girl. 'I'll take you to Fiyero.'

The princess helped Elphaba to the bedroom where Fiyero was sleeping, easing her to sit down on the edge of the bed. 'You'll be okay, won't you?' Cyara asked, and Elphaba smiled at her. 'I'll be fine.'

'Good.' Cyara returned her smile before tiptoeing out of the room, and Elphaba laid down on the bed next to Fiyero, on her side, facing him. She studied him for a moment.

With a pang, she noticed that he seemed to have aged years in the past few weeks. He seemed older, more worn than he had been before, and she knew that was partially – or perhaps even completely – because of her and everything that had happened. Even though it hadn't been her fault, of course, she still felt guilty. He had been through so much for her… and yet he still loved her. She knew it was true, but sometimes it still amazed her.

She only hoped that from now on, things would get better again. But for that to happen, they'd have to eliminate Morrible first.

She gingerly raised her hand to his face. Gently, she traced his eyebrow with her fingertips and then his cheek, down to his jaw line. He stirred and muttered something in his sleep, but he didn't wake up. She didn't want him to, either; he needed his rest.

So instead of waking him, she cuddled closer to him, nestling her head under his chin as she closed her eyes with a content sigh. Even in his sleep, his arms subconsciously snaked around her to pull her closer.

When Fiyero awoke, a few hours later, he became aware of the rather unexpected, but somehow completely _right_, sensation of having someone sleeping in his arms. Without opening his eyes, he breathed in her scent, before realising whose scent that was, exactly, and his eyes snapped open.

Wordlessly, he took in the emerald witch sleeping beside him. He was convinced that he was dreaming, but that didn't matter; it was a pleasant dream. He curled a few strands of her silky hair around his fingers, caressing her cheek with his thumb. Even in her sleep, she leaned into his touch, and he kissed her temple, then trailed his lips down her cheek, pressing them briefly to the corner of her mouth. Oh, yes. This was a nice dream.

He lay still for a while, content just watching her, relishing in the feeling of having her in his arms. 'Fae?' he whispered, and she stirred. 'Mm?'

Her eyes fluttered open and met his, and a smile spread across her face. 'Yero.' It came out as a sigh, and he leaned towards her again, planting butterfly kisses on her throat. 'This is a nice dream,' he mumbled, and she chuckled softly and snuggled up to him. 'I love you.'

'I love you, too,' he said, smiling, and she pulled back a little to look at him. 'You do know that you're not really dreaming, don't you?'

He blinked at her for a moment before finally realising that she was right - he _wasn't_, in fact, dreaming, and his eyes widened as he suddenly remembered everything that had happened. 'But…' He stared at her in amazement. 'You…'

'I'm fine,' she assured him quietly, trailing her slender green fingers down his chest, making him shiver. 'I promise. I'm alive, awake, pain free, and moving, and altogether perfectly fine.'

He caught her hands, trapping them against his chest, gazing down into her eyes intently. She could see all these emotions swirling around inside his eyes – fear, relief, confusion, worry, pain, disbelief, but above all things, love.

'Really?' he asked rather breathlessly, and she wound her arms around his neck again and kissed him, fervently and hungrily, as if trying to convince herself that she could really feel again. And Oz, did she feel.

'I missed you,' she whispered, and suddenly there were a few stray tears leaking from her eyes. She buried her face in his neck and drank in his presence. 'I missed you so much…' she murmured again against the skin of his neck. 'I know that seems ridiculous, but you have no idea how awful it was – having you so near, but not being able to touch you, or hold you, or even directly talk to you…'

His grip around her tightened and his eyes closed as relief washed over him, the truth finally getting through to him. She was really here, and she was fine again. No more seizures, no more headaches, no more paralysis or pain… No more talk about Glinda having to kill her. Just her – wonderful, beautiful, passionate, loving, fierce, _healthy _her.

She felt his body starting to shake, and she knew he was crying. She held him tightly, planting kisses on his hair and his face and his neck, trying to comfort him. She let him cry his heart out, clinging to her like he would never let her go again, before pulling back to look at him. She leaned forward to kiss away his tears. 'I love you.'

'I was so scared,' he whispered, his voice breaking. 'When you stopped breathing…' His own breath caught in his throat, and she shushed him gently. 'Ssh, Yero. I know,' she cooed, allowing him to rest his head on her chest to listen to her steady heartbeat. 'But I'm here now. I promise you, I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere.'

He lifted his head. 'But Morrible…'

She growled, an almost animalistic sound. 'Once I'll find her, I'll deal with her for once and for all.'

'But…'

'Will you stop protesting and kiss me already?' she demanded in exasperation, and he happily obliged.

They lay together for a while, foreheads pressed together, content just being in each other's arms. Fiyero was tracing patterns on her back. 'Are you really sure you're okay?'

'Would I tell you I were if I weren't?'

He gave her a pointed look, and she actually giggled. 'Okay, okay, I get your point. Don't answer that.'

He laughed and kissed her nose. 'Seriously, though?'

'I told you, Yero. I'm fine. Really.'

'Okay…' He didn't seem convinced. 'If you say so.'

She nuzzled his neck and heaved a content sigh. 'I wish Morrible would just be swallowed by the earth. It would save me the effort to deal with her,' she muttered, and Fiyero smoothed her hair away from her face. 'You'll deal with her,' he whispered. 'You can, and you will. And then we'll be free again.'

She pulled away from him. 'Will we?' she asked bitterly. 'Because I can't help but feel that somehow, something will just go wrong again. My life so far has been one giant chain of bad things happening. I can't even _remember _the last time I felt free, Yero. _Really _free, I mean – not the kind of freedom that comes with flying on a broom or… or being with you, but… the kind of freedom that comes with being _happy_. Without being chased, or tortured, or having to hide all the time.'

His heart broke, hearing her talk like this, and he wrapped her back into his arms. 'I'm sorry, Fae,' he whispered. 'I'm so sorry I haven't been able to give you that.'

She pulled away abruptly, horror written all over her face. 'No! Yero! That's not what I meant-'

'I know it's not,' he cut her off. 'But it's true, isn't it? Ever since I decided to come with you, that day in the Throne Room – no, ever since the day we saved that Lion Cub together… I wanted nothing more than to make you happy. Oz knows I would have protected you from everything that you've been through if I could… but I couldn't.' He hung his head. 'I couldn't prevent them from hunting you down, I couldn't save you from being tortured, I… I feel like I failed you,' he whispered, not looking up.

She cradled his head between her hands, forcing him to look at her. 'You didn't fail me, Yero,' she said, nearly crying when she saw the miserable look in his sapphire eyes. 'You could never fail me. No one has ever done so much for me as you have – you protected me, you sacrificed your life for me… you loved me. Please don't ever think that you let me down,' she begged, wiping the tears that were falling from his eyes away with her thumbs. 'There are many people that fail someone at some point in their lives. I let so many people down, and everyone in my life has in turn somehow let _me_ down, one way or another. My father by resenting me, Nessa by growing to hate me, even Glinda, when she told Morrible to use Nessa to get to me… but never you, Yero. Never you. If anything, you _saved _me. You're Yero, my hero, and I love you so, so much.'

They were both crying now. She wrapped her arms around him and relaxed against his body as she felt him burying his face in her long hair. 'I love you, too,' he whispered into her hair.

She rested her forehead against his again and looked into his eyes. 'I love you more than you will ever know.'

He looked back at her, caressing her cheek with his fingers as she leaned into his touch. 'I think I do know,' he whispered back.

She looked into his eyes, and she believed him. She believed him because she could see the overwhelming love she felt for him reflected back at her in his azure blue eyes. She kissed him softly, and he passionately kissed her back, easing her back down onto the bed. His eyes took her in hungrily, reassuring himself that she was present and and physically alright. Concern sparked in his blue eyes as he saw the signs that still remained of her torture. 'Fae…'

'Don't,' she warned him. 'Don't say it. Don't even _think _it.'

He smiled inadvertently. 'I wasn't going to.'

'Good,' she said, smiling as well as she slid her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She sighed with pleasure as his lips found the soft skin of her neck, just below her ear. 'I feel like I've been gone for ages.'

'I know what you mean,' he murmured against her neck. 'But in reality, it was barely two weeks.'

'That was two weeks too long,' she sighed, and he mumbled something in agreement. He sighed heavily and rolled onto his side again. Elphaba rolled over on her stomach to look at him. 'What's wrong?'

'What if Morrible finds us?' he asked bluntly, and she rolled her eyes playfully. 'Well, you sure know how to kill a mood,' she teased him, but his expression remained serious. 'I mean it. What do we do when that happens?'

She brushed her lips against his bare chest, making him shudder. 'I don't know,' she said with a sigh of her own. 'I really don't. And I'm scared, too, Yero… but I really don't want to think about that right now.'

His arms tightened around her. 'You're right. I'm sorry.'

'No, it's okay.' She yawned, and he gazed down at her. 'So what _do _you want to do right now?'

She shrugged and snuggled up to him, relishing in his body warmth. 'Nothing,' she said softly. 'Anything. I don't care. As long as you're with me.'

He pressed his lips to her hair, smiling. 'Can't argue with that.'

* * *

Eventually, they fell asleep together, her in his arms, curled up against him. That's how Cyara found them a few hours later, and it was a picture so adorable that she immediately ran out of the room again, startling Glinda and Athul, who were still in the sitting room. 'Cyara?' the blonde called, rising to her feet, her voice anxious. 'Why are you so rushed? Is something wrong? Is Elphie okay?'

'She's fine!' Cyara called back from her room, emerging again within clock-ticks, carrying a canvas and her paint and paintbrushes. She flashed Glinda an apologetic grin. 'Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. They just look so cute…'

Glinda laughed and sat back down as the younger girl hurried back to the couple's bedroom, where she sat herself in the window seat to sketch them.

She was just mixing some colours together when Fiyero yawned and cracked open one eye. 'Are you spying on us, little sis?'

She grinned at him, but then he moved a little, and Elphaba muttered something unintelligible in her sleep and stirred slightly. Cyara's eyes grew wide. 'Don't move!'

Fiyero froze in the middle of stretching. 'What? Why?'

'If you wake her, she'll never stay still long enough for me to finish this painting,' she explained in a whisper. 'And that means I would have to kill you.'

Fiyero rolled his eyes, but smiled, knowing his sister when she was working on one of her pieces of art. 'Fine. I won't move.'

'Thank you.'

'But the problem is that you're right. She'd never let you paint her while she was awake… which means you'll end up with a whole stock of paintings of Elphaba sleeping, and none of her being awake.'

Cyara chewed on the inside of her cheek. 'Well, I'll make sure to catch her awake sometime. That'll be my new challenge.' Her face brightened. 'And perhaps I could make a project out of it… a whole series of a sleeping Elphaba. Perhaps they'll be people who find it good enough to have them presented at an art exposition, somewhere here in the City… I could call it 'Sleeping Beauty'.'

Fiyero chuckled. 'She'd kill you… but I would love it.'

Cyara smirked. 'I'll try my best, then.' She quickly worked on the painting some more, adding some lines or colours here and there, critically looking back and forth between the painting and the real thing. Fiyero, meanwhile, stayed as still as possible, which really wasn't all too hard for him; he got so caught up in watching Elphaba sleep that he completely forgot his sister was even there.

Finally, Elphaba awoke, her eyes blinking open just in time to see Cyara beaming. 'Finished just in time!'

The green girl's eyes narrowed when she saw the canvas and realised what the younger girl must have been doing. 'Do you have a death wish, Cyara?'

The princess just grinned back at her and Elphaba turned around to find Fiyero gazing down at her. 'Good morning,' he smiled, and she scowled at him. 'It's more like 'good evening'. How long have I been sleeping?'

Fiyero shrugged. 'No idea. Does it matter? Apparently, you needed it, and so did I.'

She accepted that and nestled herself back into his arms. Cyara was still watching them, resting her chin on her fist, with a joyful expression on her face. 'You guys are such a cute couple,' she sighed. 'I wish I had a man that would look at me with even half as much love in his eyes as I can see in yours when you look at each other.'

Fiyero chuckled and Elphaba blushed, but smiled. 'You'll find him one day, kid,' she assured her. 'Glinda wanted that same thing, and she's on her way to having it, too. Athul adores her.'

'Yeah…' Cyara heaved a happy sigh. 'It's so adorable to watch. Though I must say it's annoying sometimes, too, being the only single person living in a house with two couples. Especially since Glinda and Athul seem to feel the need to tongue wrestle in my presence every now and then. No matter how adorable they are together, sometimes they make me want to gag,' she informed them seriously, and Elphaba sniggered. Fiyero looked horrified. 'But… but Fae and I aren't that bad, right?'

Cyara rolled her eyes. 'No, Yero. Thankfully, you two at least keep your tongues safely inside your own mouths whenever there is someone else around,' she said teasingly, and she and Elphaba both chuckled upon seeing Fiyero's face.

'Well…' he said seductively, winking at the emerald witch beside him. 'We could always change that, of course…' He half-closed his eyes and pursed his lips, making kissing noises and moving his face closer to Elphaba's as he slipped out his tongue and flickered it, as if he were a snake. Cyara immediately burst into a fit of giggles and Elphaba laughed as she pushed him away. 'Please don't ever do that again.'

'I second that,' chimed in Cyara, still chuckling. 'Gross, Yero. Really, really gross.'

He flashed her his most charming smile. 'Why, thank you.'

Suddenly, the lights started to flicker, then went out. They could all hear Glinda's frightened shriek and before long, the blonde burst through the door, Athul right behind her. 'What's happening? Is everyone alright?'

Elphaba, Fiyero, and Cyara had all shot up at the lights going off, and they were all looking around. 'I'm fine,' said Cyara in a quivering voice. 'That just scared the hell out of me.'

'You're not the only one,' muttered Fiyero, seeking Elphaba in the dark. 'Fae?'

No response came.

'Fae?' he called again, immediately growing frantic, but then he felt her slip her hand in his. 'I'm here. Ssh.'

Relief washed over him and he moved towards where he guessed she was sitting. He found her and wrapped his arms around her waist. 'Are you okay?'

Her whole body was tense, which worried him, and she didn't say anything, only shushed him again, which didn't really help matters, either. Glinda squeaked, 'Elphie? What's going on?'

Elphaba's voice was ominously low as she spoke again. 'Morrible.'

Glinda squeaked again in fear and Cyara asked, 'What? How do you know?'

'I just do. _Ssh_. I'm trying to concentrate.'

She felt Fiyero's grip around her tighten and she heard the others' laboured breathing in the silent night air, but she tried to focus on the sinister feeling that crept up on her, sending shivers down her spine. Since it was completely dark anyway, she closed her eyes, trying to block out everything but that feeling. Finally, she was able to sense where it came from, and without warning, she shot a bolt of bright crackling magic in the direction in which she perceived the threat to be, nearly giving everyone a heart attack in the process. Glinda shrieked, Fiyero and Athul jumped, and Cyara let out a colourful curse. 'What in Oz was that for?'

Suddenly, Morrible's creepy, hollow laugh filled the room, making everyone's neck hair stand on end. Red lights suddenly lit part of the room – the part where Elphaba just shot her magic at – and Morrible's giant head appeared, much like the mechanical head of the Wizard, only this one wasn't real. It was surrounded by smoke and mist and those strange red lights, but Elphaba could tell that it was a projection. The whole thing was a bit theatrical and over the top, in the green girl's opinion, but Morrible had always been a little eccentric. 'You missed, dearie.'

'I won't next time,' Elphaba snarled, at which Morrible only laughed again. 'Perhaps not. Only time will tell. But I won't miss either, dearie.'

'Elphaba!' Cyara hissed. 'Why don't you just kill her?'

Elphaba rolled her eyes, though no one could even see that in the scarce light. 'It's a projection, kid. A hologram. She's not real – she's projecting herself through her magic.'

Cyara blinked in confusion. 'So… where is the real her, then?'

'I think,' said Athul drily, 'that the whole point of this presentation is that we don't know where the real her is.'

'Oh my,' sneered Morrible. 'Our dearest Glinda found herself a man with brains!' Even in the projection, it was clear that her eyes were gleaming with pleasure. 'I'm already looking forward to using him, Glinda dear. Tell me – if I were to torture him to death before your eyes, would you consider handing the reign of Oz back into my hands?'

Glinda's eyes were flaming as she momentarily forgot her fear and stepped forward. 'I won't let you touch him!'

Morrible cackled. 'I could take all of you,' she hissed. 'I could make all of your lives a living hell. But I think we've had enough of those methods, don't you, Miss Elphaba? I think we should go about this less sneaky and more… straightforward.'

Elphaba glared at the old hag. 'What do you propose?'

'A fight,' stated Morrible simply, boring her gigantic projection eyes into Elphaba's. 'A fight on life and death that will end this once and for all. Just you and me, dearie. No others involved. Even though I'd love to take that charming Prince Fiyero from you to try and torture him again-'

'For Oz's sake, Morrible, just name me a time and a place!' snapped Elphaba, and Morrible made a disapproving sound. 'You still haven't gotten rid of that temper of yours, I see. Really, dearie, you should learn to control yourself.' Her face grew more serious as her projection eyes met Elphaba's. 'The Emerald Square in front of the former Palace, tomorrow at midnight. One way or another, Miss Elphaba, we're going to end this.'

She obviously tried to stare the green girl down, but Elphaba just kept her head high and crossed her arms defiantly. 'I'll be there.'

Morrible grinned maliciously. 'I know you will.' Then the entire projection vanished in a puff of red smoke.

The lights flickered, then went on again.


	22. Chapter 22 Battle

**AN: Thank you all so much for the many reviews! :)**

**Elphaba-WWW: Somehow, you always seem to be unable to pronounce any coherent words when I insert a cliffie somewhere :3.**

**ExoticPeachBlossom: You scared me O.O. :P**

**BlueD: Yes, really. And in that case, you would get to keep Elphaba - I mean, come on, as if I could ever be nice to her for too long... it would get boring, you know that! ;) And I really hope that was just a figure of speech, because otherwise... well... I'm imagining you now, bony thin, staring at your computer screen with dry bloodshot eyes, waiting for an update. Disturbing.**

**Lexie: I'm working on it. I've finished several original stories, but I'm a perfectionist, I don't think they're good enough yet, I really need to rewrite them but I _really _don't feel like doing that, so it might take a while for me to publish anything :P.**

**A cliffie for all of you. Because I can. Watercolor, being my apprentice (I love saying that. I have an apprentice! Yay! :D), and Elphaba-WWW, having asked me about my way with cliffies, already know what is to come ^_^.**

* * *

**Chapter 22. Battle**

For a moment, they all stared at each other, blinking against the sudden light. Then Cyara asked in a shrill voice, 'What was that?'

'Like I said,' said Elphaba calmly. 'A projection. She used magic to come and talk to me without having to worry about me attacking her, because she wasn't really here.'

'And that fight on life and death?' Cyara's voice was still a bit higher than usual, but Elphaba just shrugged. 'That one will be against the _real _Morrible, obviously.'

'Have you _completely _lost your mind?' burst out Glinda. 'You're not going to fight Morrible to the death, Elphie! Are you insane?'

'There's no other way, Glin! We can't just let her wander around freely, she'd never stop coming after us! This is the only way to stop her!'

Fiyero's arms around her tightened to the point where it was almost painful. 'I won't let you do it.'

'I don't have a choice, Yero. I have to.'

His voice quavered a little. 'I can't lose you again.'

She turned around to face him. 'You won't. But I have to do this.'

'But Elphie,' Glinda sniffled. 'What if you _die_?'

Elphaba scoffed. 'I'm not going to die. Are you insane? I've been through too much already to die now. In fact, I refuse to die before I'm old and gray and have spent a lifetime with Yero.'

He rested his chin on the top of her head and she squeezed his hand. Cyara looked thoughtful. 'I don't know if I believe in karma, or fate, or anything like that… But it's true, of course.' She started counting on her fingers. 'Your own father hated you. Your mother died. You took care of your sister. You became a wanted criminal. Spent years on the run. Then your sister died. The man you loved was dragged off to be tortured to death. You ended up in the dungeons. You were tortured. Almost burned to death. Reunited with Yero. Ended up in the dungeons _together_. You were tortured again. An entire Palace nearly collapsed on top of you-'

'That was her own fault,' chirped Glinda, and Elphaba sniggered. 'True.'

Cyara went on. 'You got stuck in the form of a cat. Your best friend was captured. You tried to save her, but almost ended up dead in the process yourself. And then when you finally thought it was all over, you became victim of Morrible's creepy spell and were forced to bring her back from the dead.'

Elphaba stared at her. 'If you put it like that, it sounds like some sort of wild adventure story.'

Cyara smiled, then shook her head. 'If there really exists such a thing as karma or fate, I'd say you're safe. Everyone their own portion of bad luck, right?'

'Yes, well, unfortunately, no such thing exists,' snapped Glinda. 'And so we have to stop her.'

Elphaba glared at her. 'I've made up my mind. You can't stop me.'

'I could tie you to the bed.' Glinda's cerulean eyes bored into Elphaba's chocolate ones. 'Kidnap you and lock you up somewhere. Cast a spell that would take away your memory-'

'We both know you'd never do that, Glin.'

The blonde huffed and sighed. 'Okay, fine, I wouldn't. But I still don't want you to go.'

'I think Elphaba is right,' Cyara spoke thoughtfully. 'She doesn't really have a choice.'

Elphaba threw her hands in the air. '_Thank you_, kid. Finally, someone with common sense.' She pushed herself up from the bed, swaying a little on her feet, and Athul scoffed. 'No offense, Elphaba, but you can barely stand up straight. You're no match against Morrible!'

If looks could kill, Athul would be dead on the floor right now, so venomous was the look Elphaba gave him. 'Watch me,' she hissed, before storming out of the room. Glinda patted Athul's arm. 'That wasn't a really sensible thing to say, dearest.'

'But it's true,' said Fiyero quietly. 'She's still too weak.'

Elphaba returned with the Grimmerie and plonked down on the bed again. 'Alright. Let's try this.' She closed her eyes and started chanting.

'What are you-' started Glinda, but she gasped when a red light suddenly appeared around Elphaba. Another one appeared around Fiyero, Cyara had one of her own, and when Glinda looked down, she found that she was engulfed in the strange light as well. Elphaba swore and Glinda's head snapped up to look at the green girl on the bed. 'What does this mean?'

'Morrible's magic,' was Elphaba's curt reply. 'That was a spell to reveal… well, other spells that have been cast recently. This,' she gestured towards the red lights around them, 'means she's taken precautions.'

Glinda looked terrified. 'The binding spell she used on _you_?' she asked in a trembling voice, already picturing herself and her friends paralysed and in awful pain, but Elphaba shook her head. 'These ones are different.'

She closed her eyes and tried to see through Morrible's magic, trying to determine the origin of the spells. 'They're all binding spells,' she muttered, more to herself than to the others. 'They'll all be set in motion once Morrible dies.'

'What do they do?' asked Glinda in a shrill voice, and Elphaba frowned. 'I'm not sure…' She poked around in her own red light, her frown deepening. 'This one… no, that can't be right.' She ran out of the room again and came back in with a pile of spell books in her arms. She searched through them for something and her scowl reappeared. 'But…'

'_What is it_, Elphie?' asked Glinda in exasperation. 'Tell us already!'

Elphaba looked up, confusion written all over her face. 'The one cast on me prevents me from hurting myself.'

They all stared at her with that same confusion on their faces. 'Huh?' asked Glinda dumbly, and Cyara blinked. 'She doesn't want you to hurt yourself once she's gone? What's that supposed to mean?'

Elphaba looked at the magic surrounding the others, and suddenly it dawned on her. She uttered some more colourful swear words. 'If she dies, she doesn't want _me _to die as well,' she said. 'She wants me to suffer.'

'And how is preventing you from hurting yourself supposed to make you suffer?' asked Glinda, wrinkling her nose in confusion. Cyara's head, however, suddenly snapped up. 'Us!'

Elphaba nodded grimly. 'Exactly.'

Glinda, Fiyero, and Athul shared a puzzled look, then looked back at the dark-haired witch in front of them. '_Huh_?'

In response, Elphaba stepped forward and poked her hand into the circle of red light surrounding Fiyero. She muttered another soft curse under her breath before moving on to Cyara, then Glinda. The same binding spell rested on all three of them, and she nodded slowly. 'Yeah. That's what I thought. Clever, Morrible. Really clever. But you won't get your wish!'

'Could _someone _please explain-' Glinda began angrily, but Elphaba cut her off. 'Your own spell – and Cyara's and Fiyero's – are the most basic binding spells you can find. If Morrible dies, the three of you will die as well.'

Glinda went a bit pale. 'But…'

'I still don't get it,' said Fiyero, frowning, and Elphaba ran her fingers through her ebony hair. 'She knows I could never live with myself if you were all dead,' she said quietly. She met his eyes. 'She knows I would most likely try to kill myself if you were to die.'

He suppressed a shiver.

'So she took precautions against that,' Elphaba explained. 'She doesn't want me to kill myself. She wants me to feel what it's like to lose you all – she wants me to go insane.'

'But…' Cyara shuddered a little. 'Would you? Go insane? If we all were to die?'

'Most likely,' Elphaba answered truthfully, causing Fiyero to nearly crush her in his grip. They all knew that was true – even with just Fiyero gone, she had wanted to die. There was no predicting what she would do if they _all _were to die and she couldn't follow them.

'But that's not going to happen,' the green girl finished. She reached out towards Cyara and Glinda, who both took her hands, then each other's. 'Concentrate on breaking the spells,' Elphaba urged them, and they closed their eyes and did.

'I don't understand,' said Athul, looking confused. 'I thought that didn't work last time.'

Elphaba cracked open one eye to glare at him. 'That's because last time, her death had made the spell unbreakable. This time, she's still alive, so it _will _work. Ssh.' She closed her eyes again and focused. The men watched in awe as slowly, a soft white light started to spread from the three witches' joined hands, enveloping them in its glow. Fiyero scrambled backwards on the bed, staring at it, until it slowly died down again.

Cyara peeked at the other two. 'Did it work?'

'Only one way to find out,' said Elphaba, softly chanting under her breath. They all looked around.

Nothing happened.

'It worked,' said Elphaba, sounding satisfied. 'No more traces of Morrible's spells.'

Glinda heaved a sigh of relief, but Cyara frowned. 'Won't she just cast them again once she realises they're gone?'

Elphaba already had her nose buried in the spell books. 'That's why I'm looking for a spell that will prevent her from doing that,' she muttered, skimming the pages. 'Some kind of protection spell… I know there exists a spell that creates a protective cage. It only has to last for a few hours…'

Glinda shook her head. 'You should rest. I'll find the spell.'

'Glin-'

'You need your strength, Elphie.'

'I just woke up,' Elphaba pointed out, but the blonde didn't budge. 'And only yesterday, you were almost dead. Give yourself a break, Elphie, really. Cyara and I will go over the spell books.'

'Can't you just use your combined magic again?' asked Athul, but Glinda shook her head and patted his cheek. 'Magic is a complicated thing, dearest. It doesn't work that way. Just let us witches handle the magic stuff, okay?' With that, she bounced from the room, Athul and Cyara trailing close behind.

Elphaba turned to face Fiyero, only to find his sapphire eyes filled with tears. She sighed. 'Yero… please don't cry.'

'I'm not,' he sniffled, and she smiled a little. 'Nice try.' She cupped his face in both her hands and gazed intently into his eyes. 'Yero, I promise you that I will not die tonight.'

'You can't promise such a thing,' he protested, and she rolled her eyes. 'Okay. Fine. Then I promise I'll try my best not to die tonight. Satisfied?'

'No, of course not!' he suddenly snapped. 'I just got you back, and now…' His voice trailed away and more tears were pooling in his eyes. 'I can't lose you,' he whispered again, and she slipped her arms around his neck and nuzzled his cheek. 'Like I said, you won't.' She pulled back to look at him once more. 'I'm stronger than she is, Yero. We have to believe that.'

'I do believe that,' he said. 'Normally. But you haven't even recuperated from that spell yet, and…'

'That doesn't matter,' she whispered, shaking her head. 'I'm stronger than her because I have what she never did. I have Cyara, and Glinda… I have you. I have friendship… I have love. And isn't that the most powerful thing in the world?'

He laughed despite his tears. 'I never thought I'd hear _you_, of all people, say that sometime.'

She blushed. 'Well… I never believed it,' she confessed. 'Not until… well, until I found you. Or, well, technically you found me.'

He rubbed his nose against hers, then abruptly pulled away, declaring hotly, 'I can't let you do this.'

'Well, what do you want me to do, Yero?' she asked, exasperated. 'Run away and hide?'

'We could go to the Vinkus,' said Fiyero. 'My parents will protect us. You, me, Cyara, Glinda and Athul… we'd be safe there.'

'No we won't. She'll come and find us.'

'Not if you make an agreement with her,' he pleaded. 'Tell her you will keep to yourself and she can rule Oz, and-'

'I don't believe you!' Elphaba leapt to her feet, her eyes flaming. 'Are you suggesting we hand all of Oz, all those innocent people, over to the most malicious woman in the world, just because you don't want to _lose _me? I never thought you to be so selfish, Fiyero!'

'Yes, well, maybe I _am _selfish!' he snapped back. 'Those people don't love you, Fae. They don't need you. I do!'

'They _do _need me!' she yelled. 'Don't you see? Imagine what Morrible would do to them if she would get to rule Oz!'

He did. And he had to admit that it wouldn't be pretty. But still.

'They don't deserve your help. They thought you were a Wicked Witch! They hunted you down!'

She cringed, but her voice and eyes didn't lose their fire. 'They are naïve and ignorant, yes, but that doesn't mean they deserve to die! To be left all by themselves! You know I could never do that!'

'Well, I want you to!'

A heavy silence fell over them. Elphaba was gaping at him, her huge brown eyes filled with disbelief. 'I can't _believe _you could suggest such a thing,' she said in a low voice. 'And I'm not going to listen to you. I'm going to do this, whether you like it or not, and you can't stop me.' With that, she stalked off, slamming the door shut behind her.

Fiyero buried his face in his hands. He blew it, he knew. He shouldn't have said those things – he knew how passionate she was about helping everyone, not just the Animals, but _all _of Oz, and he had known before he even started it that he wouldn't win this argument. To her, this was her cause, her mission, and she would never turn her back on it, no matter how much she cared about him.

He let himself drop back onto the bed. He wished he could take back what he had said.

* * *

When Elphaba came stomping in, fuming, the others looked up. 'Found anything?' asked Elphaba brusquely, plonking down onto a chair.

Glinda, knowing her friend, decided it would be wisest for her not to ask anything; instead, she pointed towards a spell in one of the books. 'This is the best we could come up with.'

Elphaba frowned as she read the words. 'That won't do. This'll barely protect you against the simplest of spells – it will be of no use against a binding spell.' She sighed. 'Well, I suppose I could just check you for Morrible's magic again right before I meet Morrible, and then… we'll just hope she won't be able to cast another spell on you during our fight.'

'That doesn't sound too fool-proof,' muttered Glinda, and Elphaba jumped to her feet again. 'It's not, okay?' she yelled at her startled best friend. 'It's not! But it's the best I can come up with! Wicked Witch of the West or not, I don't have all the answers, either, Glinda! But I'm trying my _best_!'

'I know, Elphie, I know!' Glinda rose to her feet as well, laying her hands on her friend's shoulders. 'I'm sorry! I didn't mean that!'

Elphaba sighed. 'No, I'm sorry. I'm overreacting.'

'So why are you all explosive?' asked Cyara nonchalantly. 'You pissed at Fiyero?'

Elphaba's face immediately darkened again and she bristled. 'In fact, _yes_, I am. He can be such a selfish idiot sometimes!' she spat, starting to pace around the room. Glinda gave Cyara a look. 'Well done,' she said sarcastically, and Cyara cringed. 'Sorry.'

Glinda gave the green girl a somewhat quivery smile. 'Don't worry, Elphie. He'll come around.'

'I hope so,' she grumbled. She sighed and plonked down onto the chair, resting her arms on the table and her head on her arms. 'So… is there anything else we can do?'

'I don't know, Elphie,' said Glinda quietly. 'I still think you should go to sleep, get up your strength… Cy and I will keep looking through these books,' she promised, and Elphaba nodded wearily. 'Yeah… sure. Whatever.' She sighed again and trudged off towards one of the empty guest rooms.

She slept the entire day, not waking up until past dinnertime. When she finally did and saw that the sun was already setting, she shot up and stormed towards the sitting room, where the others were sitting.

'How long was I asleep?' she asked hurriedly, and Glinda looked up. 'As long as you needed,' she replied pointedly. 'Here, have some food.'

Elphaba sighed, but conceded and sat down to stuff her mouth full with some bread. 'Found anything else in those spell books?' she asked, spraying bread crumbs around the room, earning her a disapproving glance from her blonde friend.

Cyara shook her head. 'Nothing. Sorry.'

'Huh.' Elphaba huffed and munched on an apple. 'How long?'

'About four and a half hours,' answered Athul, and Elphaba sighed. 'Well… I suppose that's long enough to get ready.'

'Is Fiyero coming, too?' asked Cyara as she stole a bit of bread from the green girl. 'Or is he still asleep?'

Elphaba shrugged. 'How should I know? I haven't seen him – I was sleeping.'

The others exchanged a look that immediately made her tense up. 'What?' she asked anxiously. 'What's wrong?'

'He wasn't with you?' asked Cyara quietly, and Elphaba looked at her in confusion. 'No, like I said, I haven't seen him. Not since this morning.'

'We haven't, either,' said Glinda worriedly. 'We went to find him a few hours after you had fallen asleep, but he wasn't in the room we had left him. We assumed he'd gone to you to apologise and that he was staying with you.'

Elphaba jumped to her feet. 'He's gone?' she pretty much shrieked, and Glinda put a calming hand on her shoulder. 'Now, Elphie, let's not panic-'

'I'll get you, Morrible!' Elphaba howled at the ceiling, as if Morrible would be able to hear her. 'I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!'

'Elphie-'

'I'm going to find him,' she declared, pulling on her cloak and whirling around. 'I'm going to find him and I'm going to kill Morrible, and I'm going to do it _now_.'

'Elphie!' Glinda roared. The green girl froze.

The blonde rose to her feet. 'I know you're upset, Elphie,' she said gently. 'I know you want to get him back, and we _will _get him back. But there's no need to panic. Now, if you'd just-'

'No need to panic?' Elphaba spun around and the blonde recoiled a little at her blazing dark brown eyes. 'No need to panic?! _Fiyero _has been _kidnapped_, Glinda! Morrible took him!'

'You don't know that for sure!'

'He's not here! Where else could he be?'

Glinda didn't have an answer to that. It was true, after all.

'Morrible took him, Glinda,' Elphaba said again in a low voice, trying her hardest to keep her composure. 'And the last thing I said to him was that he was selfish and that he couldn't stop me from doing this.'

Suddenly, Glinda understood, and tears brimmed in her blue eyes. 'Oh, Elphie…'

'I'm going to get him back,' the dark-haired witch hissed. 'No matter what.'

And with that, and a swirl of her black skirts and cloak, she left.

* * *

When Fiyero slowly blinked open his eyes, he looked right into the ugly face of a scruffy-looking man wearing a big grin which showed off his black and yellow teeth. 'Hi there, princey,' he cooed in a croaky voice. 'Decided to wake up from your nap?'

Fiyero's eyes widened and he scrambled backwards, only to find himself hindered by a wall. 'Where am I?' he asked, looking around frantically, and the creepy man cackled. 'You're trapped here,' he explained patiently. 'That old witch – what's her name? Horrible? She paid me a whole lot to keep you here. I'm homeless, you see, so I could use the money-'

'I'll pay you more if you set me free!' Fiyero interjected desperately. He had to get out. He had to get back. If not for himself, then for Elphaba – he knew she would blame herself if she found out, and it would only make her an easier target for Morrible.

The man shook his head a bit melancholically. 'Sorry, lad. She put a spell on me as well. I can't let you go.'

Fiyero rested his forehead against the wall. He was in a small cell, with walls, floor, and ceiling made of concrete. It seemed like a shelter underneath someone's house, a place where people could hide in case of a hurricane or something like that; just underneath the ceiling, there was a small window with metal bars in front of it.

The older man gestured towards that window and Fiyero moved closer to it, standing on his tiptoes to peek through. To his surprise, he found that he could oversee the Emerald Square, with the window situated just a few inches above the pavement of the square; and with a shock, he realised that that was exactly what Morrible wanted. She wanted him to see the battle between the two witches.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a voice drifted towards him on the wind and his breath hitched in his throat. She was here. He saw her, ethereal emerald skin glowing, black skirts and hair billowing in the wind, chocolate eyes sparking beneath the brim of her black pointed hat. 'Morrible!' she yelled, and even from this distance, he could see the green sparks decorating her fingertips. 'Let him go right now!'

'Fae!' he shouted, and she immediately spun around, eyes darting around the square in an attempt to locate the sound. 'Fiyero?'

'Fae, I'm here!' he yelled, and she found the small window and ran towards him, dropping down on her knees next to the window. 'Yero!'

He reached out to her, wiggling his arms between the bars to grasp her hands. 'Fae…'

Her grip on his fingers was almost painful. 'Are you okay?' she asked urgently. 'Did they hurt you?'

He shook his head. 'I'm fine. They're just keeping me here until this is all over… It's okay, Fae, really. I'm okay.'

She was clearly fighting back tears now. 'Yero, about what I said-' she started, but he shook his head to cut her off. 'Don't. You were right. I'm sorry, Fae, I shouldn't have asked that of you.'

She took a few deep, shaky breaths. 'I'll win, Fiyero,' she promised him. 'For you.'

He smiled at her, even though he felt more like crying. 'I love you.'

'I love you too,' she said. Then she suddenly tensed and her head whipped around to look over her shoulder, sending her ebony hair flying. 'Morrible.'

He squeezed her hands one more time. 'Good luck.'

She kissed his fingers. 'I don't need luck,' she said, a faint smile gracing her features. 'I have love.'

She pulled away then, and he was sure he would forever remember the feeling of her fingers literally slipping through his.

He watched her as she straightened her back to greet the old witch with a deadly glare. Morrible cackled. 'What are you doing here, dearie? I thought we had agreed on twelve o'clock sharp? That's still four hours away, you know.'

'Yes, well, you changed the plans,' Elphaba snarled. A ball of green magic suddenly appeared in her hand. 'Let him go right now!'

Morrible raised her arms and the sky darkened, a strong wind coming up, chasing gray and black clouds through the sky. A few Ozians that were passing by the square looked up at the sky in fear, then hurried back towards their homes. Morrible looked back at the young witch standing before her and narrowed her eyes. 'Never.'

At that point, Fiyero's guard roughly pulled him back down, throwing him to the floor, so that he couldn't see anything else. He tried to scramble back up, but the man pinned him down with his foot. 'Sorry, buddy. Madame Morrible is in charge.'

Fiyero struggled. 'Let me go!' He could hear Elphaba and Morrible outside; the wind was howling and magic was crackling, and he could hear both of them chanting every now and then. Flashes of white, green, and dark red light lit up the cell every now and then, and his frustration about not being able to see anything only increased. He didn't know what was happening or who was having the upper hand. He couldn't do anything at all.

Faintly, he could hear Glinda and Cyara's voices, shouting things above the howling wind, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. Elphaba shouted something in reply, but he couldn't understand that either. He struggled again, but the older man had his foot securely planted onto the princes back and he couldn't get away.

The man himself, meanwhile, _was_ looking out of the window, never removing his foot from Fiyero's back. 'This is some heavy shiz, man,' he said, seeming impressed. 'Look at all that lightning flying around!' He grinned down at Fiyero. 'You should see this!'

Fiyero glared at him, but the man only laughed. 'Looks like your girlfriend's got spunk, though,' he said admiringly. 'Look at that – she just knocked over that fish lady! Oh, but now she's back on her feet – she really does look like a fish, doesn't she?' He cringed as a very bright red light suddenly came from outside. 'Whoa. That was like a magic bomb! Where did your little green girlfriend go?'

Fiyero's heart skipped a beat.

'Oh, there she is,' the man said, and the prince could breathe again. 'Looks pretty banged up, though.' He grinned, baring his yellow and black teeth. 'I'd like to bang her up myself sometimes.'

Fiyero struggled again, but the man just laughed. 'Keep trying, princey.' He looked outside. 'Wow, and two pretty blondes there, too! They certainly look murderous – that's kinda hot.'

'Can't they get to Elphaba?' asked Fiyero, slightly confused. He was sure that the two blondes would help their friend if they could.

The shook his head. 'Fish woman created some kind of force field around the square. No one goes in or out. Guess she wanted to keep the fight between the two of them.' He removed his foot and pulled Fiyero up by his collar. 'Here, see for yourself!'

Fiyero gripped the bars and looked outside. He could indeed see a faint red shimmering wall around the square, keeping the two witches locked up inside and keeping everyone else out. Elphaba had lost her hat somewhere along the way and her hair had gotten out of her ponytail, tangled strands whipping around her face in the strong wind; her breathing was ragged and she was hunched over a little, but her eyes were burning.

Morrible was snarling, baring her teeth, as she threw lightning and winds in Elphaba's direction, growing more and more agitated as the green girl dodged all of her attacks. Morrible pushed her hands down, creating a small tornado that lifted her up high in the air. Lightning struck behind her and she cackled maniacally. 'Watch me, dearie! You could never win!'

Elphaba gritted her teeth, grabbed her broom and shot up into the sky, muttering a spell under her breath. Before she could finish it, however, Morrible shot some kind of red lightning from her fingertips. It hit Elphaba square in the chest and she lost her balance and fell off her broom.

It all happened really fast, but to Fiyero, it was like it happened in slow motion. Even from this distance, he saw her eyes widen in panic as she started falling down, falling and falling and falling.

Finally, she crashed into the pavement with a sickening noise, the impact vibrating in his bones and in his heart. He stared at her as she lay there in a crumpled heap, willing her to get up and be fine again, but deep down, he knew she wasn't. She had been too high and the impact had been too heavy.

He kept looking at her, but she didn't move again, and he knew it was over. Glinda was sobbing quietly and Cyara had clasped both of her hands over her mouth in horror, eyes wide with shock. Morrible just threw her head back and cackled. 'Finally! I won! I finally defeated the Wicked Witch of the West!' She nudged Elphaba's motionless body with her foot. 'Goodbye forever, dearie!'

The scream that escaped Fiyero's lips was the most pained and broken sound any one of them had ever heard.


	23. Chapter 23 Endings

**AN: Your reviews on the previous chapter made me laugh soooooo hard. Until I came to ExoticPeachBlossom's review, that is. THAT IS BLACKMAIL. YOU ARE MEAN. But, well, you threatening to stop updating Bro'mance was effective, though... since here's the next chapter... BUT I CAN PLAY THAT GAME YOU'RE PLAYING. I'M NOT UPDATING THIS ONE AGAIN UNTIL YOU UPDATE BRO'MANCE. HA. AND YOU WON'T LIKE IT, BECAUSE I'M ENDING IT WITH A CLIFFIE AGAIN. HA. HA. WHO'S LAUGHING NOW? MWAHAHAAHAH!**

**Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews (and for making me laugh by yelling at me that Elphaba can't be dead, or by telling me that you're crying, or by cursing (yes, Fae Tiggular, I'm looking at you) :D)! **

**HAPPY3611 (sorry, I find your name too long. I'm lazy): That review was awesome. Really made me laugh :D.**

**Aleta123: Um... lots of contradictions :P. No seriously, your review made me laugh. I hate you - you're the best. Stupid chapter - I never wanted the chapter to end. You suck - I love you. Oh, you're too sweet - I love you too! :P Sorry couldn't resist.**

**So while you can thank ExoticPeachBlossom and her effective blackmail for this chapter, I'd like to dedicate it to someone else; namely to ChaoticSymphonyofDarkness, who will be leaving Fanfiction. She was already here when I first started writing and though we didn't know each other all that well, her stories are awesome and she was one of my first reviewers, one of the first who really made me feel good about what I was writing and who convinced me it wasn't crap, and I'm sad to see her go. So even though you're probably not reading this, this is for you.**

**And because I'm bored and I can't stop rambling: this is one of the cliffies I pulled out of thin air. I was planning on making the ending of this chapter adorable Fiyeraba fluff, ending it nicely, but then I was literally writing the last paragraph or so and I was like, 'Hey, let's add in a cliffie, 'cause I can' and so here it is. Mwahahaha.**

* * *

**Chapter 23. Endings**

Fiyero's guard roughly pulled him down and threw him into a corner, blocking the small window so he couldn't see anything else, but Fiyero didn't even care anymore. He barely even moved again, just curled up in the corner and cried. She was gone. She's promised him that she would win, that she wouldn't die tonight, but deep down, he'd known it wasn't possible to promise such a thing. And now she was gone.

Outside, Glinda was screaming. 'Elphie!' The force field around the square disappeared and the blonde ran towards her friend. 'Elphie!'

Morrible was still standing there, cackling, and Cyara suddenly felt the strong urge to attack the other woman. With a low growl, like an animal's, she launched herself at Morrible, ready to jump her and scratch out her eyes. Morrible made a nonchalant hand gestured and the Vinkun princess was thrown through the air, landing with a thump on the pavement a few meters back. 'Don't bother, dearie,' the old hag told her, amused. 'If Miss Elphaba can't take me, then you most certainly can't take me, either.'

Glinda had fallen down next to her friend, burying her face in the fabric of Elphaba's dress, crying. 'Elphie… Please don't, Elphie…'

'I will rule Oz!' Morrible yelled, raising her hands towards the sky and cackling once again. Glinda was leaning over her friend, thick, hot tears dripping from her eyes and onto Elphaba's face. She was clutching the green girl's hand desperately. 'Elphie, please wake up,' she begged. 'Please…'

Cyara scrambled back to her feet, still feeling murderous. She wished that she knew how to use her magic, but she didn't have any clue at all, much to her own dismay.

Suddenly, she heard Glinda gasp, and she whipped around to look at the blonde. Glinda motioned for her to keep distracting Morrible, and though she didn't really understand what was going on, she obeyed. 'Hey, you, old hag!' she yelled. 'I'm not finished with you yet!'

Morrible turned towards her and snorted. 'Oh, please. Get out of here, little girl, or did you want to join your friend on the pavement?'

Cyara's gaze drifted towards Glinda and Elphaba, behind the old woman, and a small smile lit up her face when she saw Elphaba stir, Glinda helping her to sit up. She felt like dancing with joy. Elphaba was alive!

Morrible turned around. Immediately, Elphaba let herself drop back on the floor, pretending to be dead, and Glinda hunched over her, fake crying, trying to keep Morrible from finding out what was going on. Morrible strode towards the blonde and grabbed her blonde curls, making her cry out in pain. 'Now, Glinda dear,' she hissed. 'What do you say about handing over Oz… to me? I could be a great ruler, you know. I'll slaughter the Animals, scare the people, start wars whenever I'm bored… Yes, I can totally picture it.' She threw her head back and cackled. 'So what do you say, dearie?'

Glinda wasn't the one replying, however. Morrible was startled when she heard a quiet, but threatening voice coming from… the floor? 'Over my dead body.'

Suddenly, Morrible felt fingers close around her ankle and she gasped when she looked down to find Elphaba there, still lying on the floor and obviously weak and in pain, but nevertheless very much alive. The old woman hissed and tried to shake her foot free. 'Over your dead body, you say? Well, that can be arranged,' she snarled, and she tried to lash out with her magic; but just then, Elphaba yanked Morrible's ankle towards her, causing the older woman to lose her balance and topple down to the floor. Within the blink of an eye, she was on top of Morrible, pinning her down with all the strength she had left in her body. The hag muttered a spell under her breath and Elphaba flew backwards, hitting a wall and falling down to the floor, and Glinda shrieked again. Cyara used Morrible being distracted as an opportunity to jump onto her back and pull at her hair. 'You monster!'

Morrible threw Cyara back and swiped Glinda aside, eyes burning with rage. 'This wasn't the deal, dearie,' she growled. 'Just you and me, that's what we agreed upon.'

'Yes, well, you broke the deal when you dragged Fiyero into this,' Elphaba snarled, trying to scramble to her feet, but failing. She cringed when stabs of pain flashed through her body. She thought she must have cracked a few ribs and probably some other bones as well, but she couldn't give up now. She wouldn't.

'Fine, then,' Morrible spat at her. 'I can take all three of you with my hands tied behind my back!' She started muttering another spell under her breath, but was cut off by Cyara once again jumping the woman, yanking her head back by her hair and spitting in her face. 'I hate you!'

Glinda leaned towards the raven-haired witch. 'I like that girl.' Elphaba flashed her a grin in reply.

The green girl concentrated on her magic, calling it to her. Morrible struck Cyara across the face, sending her spinning and toppling to the floor, before whipping around to charge on Elphaba. Glinda shrieked and put herself between the old woman and the hurt green girl. 'You are not touching her,' she snarled.

Morrible cackled once more. 'We'll see about that, dearie.'

Elphaba opened her eyes, fire blazing inside of them, and she beckoned Cyara. The blonde girl quickly scrambled to her feet and ran towards them. Morrible started to chant, but just then, Elphaba grabbed both Glinda and Cyara's hands and channelled their magic, releasing it in Morrible's direction.

A cloud of dust spread across the square, temporarily blinding them, and Elphaba squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, Morrible was lying on her back panting, blood trickling from her mouth. Cyara giddily jumped, pumping her fist into the air. 'Yes! We did it!'

Elphaba pushed herself up, blinking against the dust, feeling wobbly and unsteady. 'We did?'

Glinda moved over to Morrible, who was unconscious, though still breathing. Cyara joined her and knelt down to the woman, examining her critically before rising to her feet again. 'We did,' she announced triumphantly. She was looking incredibly smug and her eyes were gleaming as she turned back to Elphaba. 'She's not dead, but she's most definitely dying.'

* * *

Fiyero had shut everything and everyone out after the guard had pulled him away. All he kept seeing were Elphaba's large chocolate sparkling eyes, even bigger than usual and filled with fear as she had realised she was falling and she couldn't stop it. Her body hitting the pavement, the horrible sound of it still filling his ears. And his own scream. His own scream kept playing in his ears, though he wasn't sure whether that was because he kept remembering it so vividly or because he had never stopped screaming in the first place.

His eyes were squeezed shut. He didn't register the guard anymore, who had continued to watch through the window. Images of her last moments haunted his mind and the knowledge that he had lost her broke his heart in thousands of tiny little pieces, shattering in his chest, the feeling so awful that it caused him physical pain. He couldn't even breathe properly anymore. So many times, he'd thought he'd lost her, but every single time, she had come back to him. Not now, though. Not now. The impact had been too great.

Vaguely, he heard voices – Morrible cackling, which caused him to cower even more, curling up as if he could disappear if he would only manage to make himself small enough; for just the tiniest moment, his heart leapt when he thought he heard _her _voice, but then he heard Morrible's evil laugh again, and Glinda and Cyara's panicked voices, and with a sinking feeling, he realised it hadn't been her. How could it have been her? She was dead.

Dead. The word echoed in his head, bruising and shattering his already broken heart even more. He felt as if he was dying himself. He couldn't take this. Not again. It had been too many times already, too many times he'd lost her or almost lost her… He wasn't sure how he felt anymore. Insane. Yes, that was probably it. Insane.

The stabbing pain in his chest intensified, and he doubled over, suddenly not so sure anymore that this was just heartache. The pain was too physical, too real. What was happening to him?

Suddenly, the door to the cellar burst open and people streamed in. His vision was starting to blur, but he recognised Cyara and Glinda, his little sister in the front, looking pissed off as she strode towards the man that had been guarding Fiyero and punched his jaw so hard that he toppled to the ground. 'That's for keeping my brother prisoner,' she growled.

Glinda flashed her a quick smile. 'Well done.' She turned towards Fiyero, still lying in his corner, and gasped. 'Fiyero!'

She ran towards him and kneeled down next to him. 'Are you okay? Did they hurt you?'

He shook his head, but the pain prevented him from speaking. He was vaguely aware of a flash of black and green kneeling down next to the blonde girl, but it didn't immediately get through to his misty brain what that meant.

Not until there were slim green fingers brushing his hair from his forehead and dark chocolate eyes, sparking with concern, hovering above him. 'Yero?'

He snapped out of his daze, staring at her warily, not believing it was her at first. 'Fae?' he managed to croak out. 'But… You… You can't be… You're dead!'

'He must have seen you falling,' whispered Glinda, and tears filled Elphaba's eyes. 'Oh… Yero, I'm so sorry… so sorry you had to see that.' She leaned over him and pressed a kiss to his forehead. 'I'm alive, I promise. Right now I'm more worried about you, though. Did they hurt you? Did they… do anything?'

Fiyero wanted to touch her and hold her, to kiss her and to never let her go again, to assure himself that she was really there – still. Again. She was like the cat she had so briefly been – perhaps she had nine lives as well.

Right now, however, he couldn't even talk; he gasped when another stab of pain pierced his chest, and Cyara cried, 'Fiyero!'

'Be quiet, kid, I need to focus,' said Elphaba, a bit harsher than she had intended because she was starting to get slightly panicky. She looked into Fiyero's eyes, worried sick. Something was hurting him and she had no idea what it was.

He writhed in pain, and Glinda suddenly grasped the green girl's arm. 'Elphie!'

Elphaba looked up at her and the realisation hit her when she looked into Glinda's cerulean eyes. 'Binding spell!' they both exclaimed at the same time, and Elphaba softly chanted under her breath. The red light of Morrible's magic emerged around Fiyero almost immediately, confirming for the two witches what they had, deep down, already known.

'Morrible is dying,' said Glinda quietly. 'And because of the binding spell… so is Fiyero.' She bit her lip in worry. 'If we don't do something quickly, he'll die!'

Cyara was crying now. She didn't cry about many things, but Fiyero had always been her hero, the strong big brother she looked up to. No matter how stupid he could be sometimes, and how many stupid things he had done, she had always admired him, and it hurt her to see him like this, weak and in pain.

'I need your help,' said Elphaba. Both blondes looked at her in incomprehension. 'How?' whispered Cyara, and in reply, Elphaba reached out her hands. 'Focus on breaking the spell.'

Glinda shook her head. 'It won't work,' she said sadly. 'Morrible's death sealed the spell, didn't it? Doesn't that mean that we can't… can't save him anymore?'

'Morrible isn't dead yet,' Elphaba reminded her curtly. 'But we have to hurry.'

Glinda, realising that to be true, quickly took hold of both Elphaba and Cyara's hands, like they had not ten minutes ago, and they all closed their eyes and focused. Like before, a white light radiated from the circle they formed together; and when it slowly faded away, Elphaba opened her eyes again. 'Fiyero?'

He was lying on his back, his eyes open and unblinking, and for an awful moment, she thought that he was dead; but then he blinked his eyes and she let out the breath she hadn't even realised she had been holding.

Glinda hovered over him. 'Fiyero? You okay?'

'Is the pain gone?' asked Cyara, anxiously peering into his eyes, and he blinked again and nodded slowly. 'I… I think so.'

Cyara squealed and hugged her brother, immensely relieved that he was okay again, and Glinda hugged him, too. Then they both moved away, revealing Elphaba behind him.

The moment he set eyes on her, however, he scrambled backwards. 'No. Go away!' he yelled, startling all three women.

Glinda tentatively placed her hand on Fiyero's arm. 'Fiyero?' she whispered, but his gaze was fixed on the dark-haired witch. 'Get her out of here!' he shouted. 'Why would you do this to me?' His gaze swung towards Glinda, then Cyara. 'I would have thought better of you! You're just trying to torment me! Get that imposter out of here right now!'

Only then did it dawn on Glinda what he was saying. 'Fiyero,' she began, 'it really is-'

'No, it's not!' He felt like he really was going insane at that point, but his mind just refused to believe that it was his Elphaba in front of him. It couldn't be. He had seen her die.

'Fiyero!' Glinda yelled, forcing him to look at her. 'It's Elphie,' she said, calmer now. 'It's really Elphie. She didn't die, Fiyero. She's right here.'

Elphaba had turned away, allowing her curtain of ebony hair to hide the tears brimming in her eyes. 'Let's go back to your house, Glin,' she said quietly. 'I want to get out of here.'

'Of course, Elphie,' the blonde said gently, rising to her feet and attempting to help Fiyero up, but he only scrambled back into his corner, his eyes wide. Glinda looked at him sadly. She couldn't blame him for reacting this way; he had been through so much, he had seen Elphaba in danger so many times already… Now he finally seemed to have had too much.

But he would come to his senses. She was sure of that.

Elphaba gingerly rose to her feet, then stumbled, and Cyara hurried over to help her. When she slid an arm around the witch's waist to support her, however, she yelped. Cyara quickly pulled back. 'Cracked ribs. Right.'

Elphaba grimaced and leaned against the wall for support. 'Just give me a clock-tick.'

Cyara, meanwhile, had managed to help Fiyero get up, and he was staring at Elphaba suspiciously. _It's not her_, he kept on telling himself. _It can't be her. She can't have survived again. I saw her die. It's not her._

She turned to face him then, and he saw the sadness in her chocolate eyes before she looked away again and started making her way towards the door. He cocked his head a little to the side, confused.

Glinda saw it and took it as a hopeful sign. 'She didn't die, Fiyero,' she told him again. 'It's really her. You should believe that. I know you're hurting, and it must have been hard on you, but it was hard on her, too, and now you're hurting her even more.'

He slowly blinked at the blonde girl. 'But she's dead,' he insisted flatly, his voice childlike. 'I saw her fall.'

'I saw her fall, too,' said Glinda quietly. 'And we thought she was dead. But you know what? She wasn't. We overpowered Morrible, and Elphie just saved you from one of that horrible woman's binding spells. You almost died, Fiyero. She's far from fine, but I can promise you that she is alive.'

Slowly, the foggy look cleared from his eyes, and Glinda decided to give him one last push. 'Deep down, you know that it is really her. I know you do. Try to get yourself together, Fiyero. She needs you now.'

That did it, and when he looked back at Glinda, blinking again, he couldn't believe that he had even for a moment doubted that it had really been Elphaba. 'What…' He shook his head. 'Am I going insane?'

Glinda gently placed her hand on his shoulder. 'Of course not. It was probably just the shock, combined with Morrible's spell. It's perfectly understandable.' She took him in. 'You okay now?'

He nodded, and she nodded her head towards the door. 'Then get out and go to Elphie.'

His eyes widened. 'Oh, Oz.' He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran outside. Cyara was looking down at Morrible, poking the old hag with her foot. Judging by the content look on his sister's face, the woman really was dead now.

Elphaba was painfully slowly making her way off the square, in the direction of Glinda's mansion, and Fiyero called out to her. 'Fae!'

She stopped and slowly turned. He ran up to her and gingerly wrapped his arms around her. 'I'm sorry,' he told her gravely. 'I don't know what came over me.'

He felt her relax as she realised that he was back to his normal self, and she buried her face in his shirt. 'Are you okay?'

He let out an incredulous laugh. 'Am _I _okay? What about _you_?'

'Fine,' she mumbled, and he pulled back a little to look at her. 'I don't believe you.' Then he drew her closer again, breathing in her scent – a combination of apples, woods, and honeysuckle. 'But I…' Much to his own dismay, he started crying again – he couldn't help it. 'I'm so happy that you're… you're not…'

She stroked his cheek comfortingly. 'I know. I'm not dead. I promised, didn't I?' She kissed him softly, before breaking away and looking over his shoulder at Morrible, lying motionless on the floor. 'Is she…'

'She's really dead now,' confirmed Cyara, and a wave of dizziness crushed over Elphaba as the adrenaline faded and was replaced with relief. She stumbled and Fiyero instinctively reached out to support her by moving his hand to her waist, but Cyara stopped him, gently grabbing Elphaba's shoulder to hold her up instead. 'Cracked ribs,' she told him in response to his questioning look.

'Dislocated shoulder,' Elphaba retorted to the blonde girl, wincing in pain, and Cyara's eyes widened as she realised that the green girl's shoulder indeed didn't exactly look right. 'Oh… I'm sorry.' She quickly let go.

'We should get you to a hospital,' said Glinda, who joined them, but Elphaba shook her head stubbornly. 'I hate hospitals. It's nothing, Glin, really. It'll heal by itself. I can just stay at your place.'

The others exchanged some hesitant looks. On the one hand, they were worried that something might go wrong if they didn't get her to a hospital right now; but on the other hand, none of them really wanted to let her out of their sight.

'Fine, then,' Glinda finally decided. 'I'll take you home with me. But I am going to call in a doctor, and the moment something goes wrong, you're going to a hospital, Elphie, whether you like it or not.'

'Fair enough,' complied Elphaba, leaning heavily against Fiyero's chest. He gently held her upright by her good arm, but now that the tension had gone down a bit, she looked too weak to take even one step by herself. 'I'm going to carry you,' he told her, his voice making it clear that he would bear no contradiction.

Elphaba, of course, tried anyway. She looked up at him, weary, but her eyes still alert and sparking with mild annoyance. 'Fiyero-'

'Nope. I won't hear any of it.' He shifted his arms a little. 'The moment I'm hurting you, tell me, okay?'

She gave in and nodded. 'Okay.' Carefully, he picked her up, trying to keep his hands away from her ribcage. She winced a little, but once he was steady again, she relaxed and leaned against him, her good arm wrapped loosely around his neck. 'You okay?' he asked her, and she nodded. 'Yeah… fine.'

Slowly, they made their way back to Glinda's mansion, where Athul was waiting for them, looking positively anxious. When he saw them, his facial expression changed to one of relief. 'You won.'

'We did,' said Glinda, smiling as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, and Elphaba gave him a weak grin. 'Yay for us.'

Cyara giggled, then started bouncing. 'We won!' she yelled, excited. 'We really won! Woohoo!'

'Sometimes I tend to forget that she's only seventeen,' mumbled Elphaba, and Fiyero chuckled. 'I know. She can still be a little girl sometimes.'

His sister glowered at him. 'You are lucky that you're holding Elphaba now, Mr. Dancing-through-life, or I would have punched you. Hard.'

'I'd like to see you try,' he teased her as he made his way towards the stairs.

Athul turned to face Glinda. 'Is Elphaba alright?'

Glinda chewed the inside of her cheek. 'I'm not sure,' she confessed, 'but at least she's not dead… and Morrible is.' She shook her head. 'Hopefully, she'll be fine again.'

* * *

After Elphaba had been examined by three different doctors – at Glinda's insistence, much to the green girl's dismay – she had fallen asleep, exhaustion finally taking over, and the others had tiptoed to the sitting room. None of them was really in the mood for sleep; they were still too worked up about everything that had happened.

'I can't believe it's over,' sighed Cyara, twirling strands of blonde hair around her finger. Glinda nodded solemnly. 'I know. What if it isn't?'

Fiyero cringed and she placed a hand on his knee. 'I'm sorry, Fifi, but we have to take that option into consideration. Morrible is dead now, and so everything should be fine, but that's what we thought last time… and it came back biting us in the-'

'Don't finish that sentence,' Athul told her sternly. 'You're Glinda the Good. You're an example to people. Don't ruin that by saying foul words.'

She giggled. 'I was going to say 'behind'.'

He threw her a sceptical look. She giggled again and kissed him. 'I love you.'

He immediately melted. 'I love you, too.'

Cyara just stared at them. 'Could you teach me how to do that?' she asked Glinda seriously. 'Winding men around your little finger within the blink of an eye?'

Glinda winked at her. 'The trick is what I like to call 'the Glinda-look'.' She widened her baby blue eyes, pouted a little, and looked at Cyara pleadingly, blinking her eyes in an innocent way. Cyara snorted with laughter. 'That actually works?'

Glinda, never losing her Glinda-look, turned to face Athul, who immediately started to squirm. 'Please don't do that,' he begged her. 'You look like a beaten puppy. It makes me feel guilty and I didn't even do anything wrong!'

Glinda turned back to the Vinkun princess with a grin. 'See?'

'Anyway,' Fiyero brought the original subject back, 'the point is that something _might _happen again. Right?' He sighed. 'Will we _ever _just have a happy ending or is our life going to be like this forever?'

Glinda placed a soothing hand on his arm. 'Everything that happened, Fiyero, made us stronger,' she said. 'All of us, both individually and in our relationships with one another. You and Elphie most of all. Things will be alright again… Eventually.'

'Eventually,' he echoed, sounding defeated. 'Right.'

'Oh, come on, Fiyero,' Cyara tried to cheer him up. 'I'm sure it's over now. Morrible is dead – what else could go wrong?'

As if it was an answer to her question, a piercing scream suddenly came from Elphaba's bedroom.

* * *

**BOW AND GROVEL AT MY FEET. **

**This Queen thingy is starting to get to my head. BUT I'M LOVING IT.**


	24. Chapter 24 Love

**AN: Yes, yes, I admit defeat. PeachBlossom wins. Congrats. And s****omehow, suddenly... this ended up being the final chapter of this story.**

**I know. I wasn't expecting it either. But I figured they've all been through enough by now, and I didn't know what disaster I could possibly bestow on them _now _again. Morrible's ghost? Sorry. Not gonna happen. So I wrapped it up. I'm not sure about the ending, but I guess it's okay.**

**Elphaba'sGirl: In that case, you've been crying for a long time *sadistic smirk*.**

**Stefy: Looking out, but can't find anything about it, so don't know when it will be :(.**

**Failey (yes, you're Queen Failey now, but I'm lazy): That's exactly the feeling I wanted you all to have 3:). Yay for me. (And yes. Cool.)**

**BlueD: I laughed way too hard at that. I was just totally picturing Elphaba scrambled back on the bed, clutching the blankets, screaming her head off because there was a bug on the wall or something xD. But I guess she _would _scream like that if she woke up to find her entire room pink...**

**Lexie: Nope, I really don't :D.**

**Watercolor & Elphaba-WWW: No matter how much I loved your review (and yes, of course I know The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo!), I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I don't write chapters in advance. Ever. The moment I finish a chapter, it comes up here :). Anyway, you really had me laughing there - I could totally picture the two of you hacking my laptop, smirking sadistically and cackling maniacally :P.**

* * *

**Chapter 24. Love**

'Will you _never _say such a thing again!' Glinda shouted to Cyara as the girls followed Fiyero out of the sitting room. He had bolted not a clock-tick after hearing the scream, and the two blondes weren't far behind. 'You're jinxing us!'

'Well, I'm sorry!' Cyara snapped back. 'I didn't mean to!'

Fiyero, naturally, got there first. He spun around, searching for anything that might be wrong, but he found nothing. The room looked completely normal.

He turned towards Elphaba in the bed. She had stopped screaming, but was still trembling violently, and he crawled onto the bed next to her, tentatively touching her arm. 'Fae?'

She jerked her arm away, whimpering. 'Don't touch me!' she suddenly yelled. 'Don't you dare touch me, you creepy old witch!' Only then did he realise that she was still asleep.

'It's okay,' he told Glinda and Cyara, who had come running in after him. Relief was written all over his face. 'She's just having a nightmare.'

Cyara let out a breath and Glinda sighed. 'I was already mentally preparing myself for another creepy binding spell, or Morrible's ghost haunting the bedroom, or… I don't know… Morrible coming back to life once again.'

Cyara elbowed her hard in the stomach. 'What did we just say about jinxing?'

Glinda's eyes widened. 'Oh! I'm sorry!'

They only shut up once Fiyero glared at them. Glinda cleared her throat. 'Um, yes. Well, if Elphie is okay, we'll just… um… go.' She pushed Cyara out of the room and quickly followed.

Elphaba suddenly started squirming. 'No! Fiyero!' she cried, and he shook her gently in an attempt to rouse her. 'Fae? Fae, calm down, it's me.' He brushed her hair away from her face and tried to wake her. 'Fae?'

Suddenly, her eyes opened and she gave a yelp, shooting up, putting one hand over her heart. 'Oz, Fiyero! You scared the living daylights out of me!'

He let out an incredulous laugh. '_I _scared the living daylights out of _you_? Are you serious?'

She chuckled softly and lay back down. He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her cheek. 'You okay?'

'Mm-mh,' she murmured, snuggling closer to his chest. 'It was just a nightmare.'

'Judging by your screams, it must have been one hell of a nightmare.'

She looked up at him. 'Did I scream?' she asked, blinking up at him. He nodded and she sighed. 'I'm sorry, Yero… I didn't mean to scare you _again_,' she apologised, and she could feel his soft chuckle vibrating in his chest. 'I know. Yet you keep on doing so, Miss Commotion.'

She stuck out her tongue. 'Yeah, well, I hope it's over now.' She sighed. 'It is, isn't it? Over? Morrible isn't gonna drop from the sky again to kill us, is she?'

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. 'I certainly hope not.'

She huffed. 'And otherwise I'll just once again have to kick her giant fat-'

'I get the message,' Fiyero interrupted her drily, and she let out one of her rare giggles.

He carefully moved his one hand to her waist, gingerly resting it on top of the tight bandage one of the doctors had applied around her ribcage, to support her broken ribs. 'Does it hurt?'

She shrugged. 'I've been through worse.'

He thought of the torture in the dungeons and of Morrible's binding spell, and he made a face. 'Yeah… I guess you could say that.'

She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, allowing the steady sound of his heartbeat to lull her back to sleep.

* * *

'Fellow Ozians!'

Glinda looked around the small square, smiling at the many, many people gathered there. They were all looking up at her expectantly, and she beamed at them.

'As you might have noticed, the Emerald Palace is being rebuild,' she said. 'Construction of a new Palace has begun, and with a little help from our fellow Ozians and perhaps a tiny little spell here and there,' she smiled and a few people laughed. 'We expect it to be ready within a year.'

The people cheered and clapped, and Glinda waited patiently until the noise died down again. 'Also,' she continued, 'I'm happy to announce that my dearest friend, Elphaba Thropp, is now safe and recovering fast from everything she has been through.' She leaned over the balcony, locking eyes with each and every person below her. 'She's been through so much,' she said quietly. 'She's lost so much, she has been hurt so many times… only recently, Morrible had put her under a spell; fortunately, we managed to break it, but magic almost always comes with a cost.' Her gaze grew even more serious. 'Some of you might have seen Morrible on the Emerald Square, after I told you of her demise,' she said quietly. 'It wasn't her ghost; it really was her. We were forced to bring her back in order to save Elphaba's life.'

The crowd buzzed in surprise and slight anxiety, but Glinda held up a hand to silence them. 'Don't worry, she is gone again now. For good this time.' She felt Athul's presence behind her, which calmed her; she reached out a hand behind her, without looking back, and he took it and squeezed it slightly, giving her the strength to go on.

'Elphaba has fought Morrible,' she said quietly. 'And she won. We almost lost her in the process, and Prince Fiyero, too, for Morrible had cast a spell on him… but we won, and they both survived. Fellow Ozians… I know you have been misled in the past,' she said. 'And I know you find it difficult to trust Elphie, because you've been led to believe that she was wicked for all these years. You have no idea how badly I wish I could change that.'

She swallowed. 'Elphie fought Morrible, but not just for herself or for her friends… but for you as well. I think you should know that.'

Again, murmurs from the crowd. Glinda looked more solemn than any of them had ever seen her. 'Some of us wanted Elphaba to run,' she said. 'To go into hiding again. _Some of us _even suggested she promised Morrible that she could rule Oz, in exchange for the old witch leaving Elphaba alone.' Her blue eyes were piercing as she looked down at her people. 'She never considered it for a clock-tick,' she said quietly. 'In fact, she got mad at the mere suggestion. Because she knew that if Morrible would get to rule Oz, she would destroy it. She would slaughter the Animals and suppress the people, and she would make you grovel at her feet. Elphaba wants to protect you all, to keep you safe… she cares about each and every single one of you, even though none of you have ever even cared a twig about her.'

Now they shifted uncomfortably. Glinda smiled.

'Fortunately, that's all behind us now,' she continued. 'We won, and as her best friend, I am so, so proud of her.' She half-turned towards the open balcony doors. 'So I'm asking you now,' she said softly, 'to open up your hearts to her. To see her for who she really is, instead of seeing her the way other people made you see her. And to give her all your love, because she deserves that. If not for the beautiful person I know she is, then for saving you from a horrible fate and never turning her back on you, no matter what.' She let her gaze drift across the crowd before announcing in a louder voice, 'Please welcome my best friend, Elphaba Thropp!'

When the dark-haired witch stepped onto the balcony, everyone was dead silent. She was still limping and she was leaning on Fiyero for support, his arm securely around her waist and their fingers laced together – she was just happy that no one could see that she was actually nearly crushing Fiyero's hand. Last time, it had been even worse to get out onto this balcony and face all these people; but just because now was easier, didn't necessarily make it easy in itself. She still hated the attention, but she knew it had to be done.

She stepped outside, ebony hair blowing softly in the breeze, chocolate brown eyes taking in the people slightly warily. Fiyero stayed by her side, his back straight and his jaw set, ready to protect Elphaba from whatever might happen. A part of Elphaba expected another shooter to step up to try and kill her, but of course, Boq was still in prison, and no one else stepped forward. Instead, they just stared at her, making her feel decidedly uncomfortable.

But then, it happened. One of them, a woman with a little girl by her side, stepped forward. Her eyes locked with Elphaba's and the green girl was stunned to see nothing but respect and gratefulness inside of them. 'Thank you, Elphaba,' she said softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. 'Thank you for saving us.'

Another person, a teenage boy, started to clap. Slowly, but clearly audible, his gaze fixed on Elphaba. The woman joined him almost immediately, and then her small daughter did, too; and before they knew it, every single person on the square in front of Glinda's mansion was clapping. The teenage boy whistled on his fingers, and the crowd joined him, cheering and clapping and screaming her name… Elphaba's name. Her eyes were wide and unblinking as she stared at the people below, fighting back tears. Never before had people accepted her like this. No, they weren't just accepting her; they were _loving _her. For the first time in her life, she was loved – not just by Fiyero or Glinda, but by people who barely even knew her. People who respected her and loved her for what she had done for them. Finally, after all these years, it felt like they gave her the gratitude Glinda and Fiyero had always told her she deserved.

She felt Fiyero resting his forehead against her temple. 'You okay?' he whispered, and she turned her head slightly to look at him, her eyes huge and brimming with tears. 'They… they love me,' she whispered incredulously, and Fiyero laughed and kissed her nose. 'They should have started doing that ages ago.'

The people cheered even harder when they saw the couple together, and much to Elphaba's shock, Fiyero slid his arms around her, drawing her closer, and slowly kissed her. The Ozians nearly lost it, Glinda – who was standing next to them – and Cyara – who was lingering in the doorway – were swooning 'Aw!', and Elphaba swatted at Fiyero's chest. 'Not in front of everyone!'

His grin only widened. 'They love you, Fae.'

A slightly goofy and positively beaming grin of her own immediately spread across her face, illuminating her beauty for everyone to see. 'They do, don't they?'

'They do.' He rested his fingers under her chin and kissed her again. 'And so do I.'

The people went crazy again, and as if that was his cue. Athul stepped forward. 'People of Oz,' he began. 'In these past weeks, a lot has happened. The Wizard has left, Morrible has been marked as a traitor, the Wicked Witch turned out not being so bad after all…' He winked at Elphaba, and she rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling. A few people laughed.

'But,' he continued, 'through all of that, there was your new ruler: Lady Glinda the Good.'

More cheers from the crowd.

'Though I agree that Elphaba deserves your love and applause more than anyone in this world,' he said gravely, looking at the people, 'I am also very proud of my Glinda, for being everyone's rock in these times of need. Everyone's rock, but especially mine. And therefore,' in one swift movement, he pulled a small box from his pocket and knelt down upon one knee, making all the Ozians – and his friends as well – gasp, 'I want to ask her a very important question.'

Glinda's face flushed a bright pink and she fanned her face with her hand.

'Glinda, my love,' Athul said, eyes locking with hers. 'Will you marry me?'

Everyone went dead silent. The Ozians stood on their tiptoes in anticipation. Cyara was covering her mouth with both hands and silently bouncing up and down with excitement, and Elphaba cuddled a little closer to Fiyero, both of them smiling as they looked at their friends.

Glinda, however, seemed ready to faint.

'Iiiiiieeeeh…' she squealed. Then she started bouncing up and down, sending her curls flying and her tiara slowly sliding off her head. 'Iiiiiiiieeeeeehh!'

Everyone was laughing now. 'You do realise that's not an answer, don't you?' asked Elphaba drily, grinning at her friend, and Glinda punched her arm. 'Shut up, Elphie.' Then she turned back towards Athul. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, then let out another, 'Iiiiieeeh!' and turned back to Elphaba. 'He just asked me to marry him!'

'I know, Glin,' Elphaba said in obvious amusement. 'I was there. He's waiting for an answer, you know.'

Glinda suddenly looked extremely panicky. 'But… But what should I say?' she hissed at Elphaba, who laughed. 'Try 'yes',' she suggested, chuckling. 'Well, you could try 'no' if you really don't want to marry him, but I'm guessing you do. Don't you?'

'I do!'

'Then turn around and say yes.'

Glinda nodded nervously. 'Okay.' She turned back around to look at Athul, and a dreamy and goofy smile spread across her face. Then she started bouncing again. 'Yes!'

Everyone started cheering louder than ever before, and Athul slipped the golden ring around Glinda's finger and rose to his feet. Glinda flung herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply, and he spun her around.

It took a long while for the excitement to die down, but finally, the Ozians left back home and the friends went back inside again. They were freezing by then – the wind outside was very cold and they were all dressed in clothes that were suitable for being presented to the people, but not exactly for standing in the cold for hours. Athul fetched them all blankets and both couples snuggled underneath a blanket together, leaving Cyara with a blanket of her own. They all sat down by the fireplace in Glinda's sitting room. Athul settled for a comfortable armchair, with Glinda making herself comfortable in his lap, the blanket securely around them; Cyara stretched out on the couch, not really minding the fact that she had it all to herself now, as Fiyero and Elphaba settled down on the floor in front of the fireplace. Fiyero tugged the blanket closer around them both and tried to rub some warmth into Elphaba's fingers as she snuggled closer into his embrace. She sighed. 'I wish this could last forever.'

They were all silent for a moment, pondering the happenings of the past years, before Cyara spoke up quietly. 'Who knows? Maybe it could. Maybe… maybe it will.'

'I hope so,' said Glinda softly, leaning her head against Athul's shoulder. The man raised his eyebrows at Fiyero. 'So, what about you, your Highness?' he teased him. 'Surely now that Glinda and I are going to be married, you and Elphaba can't stay far behind now can you?'

Fiyero grinned at him, pulling Elphaba closer. 'We won't.'

Elphaba looked at him with one eyebrow raised. 'Oh?'

He laughed and kissed her. The others went back to their conversation; only Cyara, ever observant, saw the small but distinctly box-shaped lump in the pocket of his pants.

She smiled. Perhaps now, after all this time, they would finally have their happily ever after.

* * *

'I, Fiyero Hamold Tiggular,' he smiled down at her as he took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers and squeezing them slightly, 'hereby take you, Elphaba Thropp, to be my lawfully wedded wife. I will love and cherish you forever, Fae, because that is what you deserve. I love you, and I promise to stay by your side forever, if you'll let me.'

She smiled back at him, her chocolate eyes filled with emotional tears – much to her own dismay. She took a deep breath and took the ring, sliding it around Fiyero's finger.

'I, Elphaba Melena Thropp, hereby take you, Fiyero Tiggular, to be my lawfully wedded husband. I will always save you, in any way you might need saving, because you have saved me so many times before. I love you, Yero, more than anything in this world or another; you are my light and my life, and I will never, _ever _let you go again.'

The priest seemed to be slightly surprised by the fact that the couple changed his vows into vows of their own, but he just looked at them with a soft smile, spread his arms, and boomed, 'I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.'

Slowly, Fiyero took Elphaba's veil and draped it back over her head, revealing her face. He placed his hand in her neck and she leaned up to him, and their lips met in a sweet, loving kiss.

Every single person present in the ballroom of the brand new Emerald Palace cheered with joy, and confetti sprayed all around the room. With a smile on his face that he was sure would never fade again, Fiyero led his wife – _his wife!_ – to the dance floor, ready to dance the first dance with her.

There were hundreds and hundreds of people there, but as the music started to play and he drew her closer, allowing her to look into his sapphire eyes, it was like all those people faded away, like the world only existed of her and Fiyero.

He leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. 'Are you happy?' he whispered.

She smiled at him, tears once again brimming in her eyes. All her life, she had barely cried; but the rare times she had, they had been tears of hurt or grief or pain. Now, for the first time in her life, she was experiencing tears of happiness – and she found that she suddenly didn't mind the tears so much anymore.

'Yes,' she whispered back, tracing his cheek and jaw with her slim fingers. 'I love you.'

He kissed her fingers. 'I love you, too.'

That night, Fiyero carried her upstairs bridal style – insisting on doing it the proper way – and into their bedroom, helping her out of her huge ball gown. She huffed as she wiggled herself free from the heavy fabric. 'Seems like Glinda got me into a ball gown after all. Though I prefer her just buying one for me over her nearly poking me in the eye with her training wand and yelling 'BALL GOWN!' into my face.'

Fiyero cocked his head to the side curiously. 'Before my time?'

'Actually, no,' she said with a chuckle. 'The night you arrived. After Glin and I became friends.'

He laughed. 'Well, that I wasn't there, doesn't mean I can't picture it.' He drew her into his arms again, kissing her softly. 'But I would love to see you wearing ball gowns more often,' he murmured.

She smiled against his lips. 'Anything for you, Yero.'

He pulled back, surprised. 'Really? You'd even wear ball gowns for me?' he teased her, but her gaze was serious and sincere when she looked back at him with those unreadable huge dark eyes of hers. 'I'd do anything for you. You know that.'

He pressed her closer to him and kissed her deeply in reply, and she wound her arms around his neck. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. She looked up into his eyes. 'I love you, husband.'

A broad, goofy smile lit up his face, and he kissed her again. 'I love you too, my wife.'

Later, when they were lying huddled in the blankets together, legs entwined, Elphaba comfortably tucked against Fiyero's chest, she looked up at him. 'Yero?'

He was trailing soft, slow circles on her bare back. 'Hm?'

'Do you think…' She swallowed. 'Do you think we're safe now?' she asked quietly. 'I mean… It's just… so much has happened, and I just can't shake the feeling that…'

'That something will go wrong again?' he guessed, feeling the exact same way himself, and she nodded softly. 'Yes… sooner or later.'

He looked thoughtful as he continued to trace patterns on her back and down her spine, making her shiver. 'Perhaps,' he said finally. 'Only time will tell. But Fae…' He shifted a little to get a better look at her. 'I believe now that, whatever happens… we can handle it.'

She smiled softly. 'Together?'

'Together,' he agreed, drawing her back into his arms, pressing butterfly kisses to her throat. 'And if it's up to me, we'll always be together.'

'Always,' she echoed softly, melting into his touch. 'We'll be together for as long as you're mine.'

He looked down into her eyes and slowly lowered his lips towards hers, kissing her deeply. 'And I'll be yours forever,' he whispered.

She smiled and kissed him back, looking into his eyes for a moment, their foreheads and noses touching. 'Then we have nothing to worry about.'

* * *

**I hope you liked that ending. **

**Each and every single one of you, thank you soooooo much - for reading, reviewing, following or adding the story to your favourites, THANK YOU. I love you all. Not in a creepy way. I promise. *cackles* *curtsies* Until we meet again, my pretties! (Speaking of which - I just started a new story. Aren't I horrible? It's called Wonderwomen and I'll be updating it alongside Shadows for a while. Heheh.)**

**Your Ultimate (Evil) Queen of Cliffies,**

**Maddy**


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